Czech Republic

Bilateral relationship

Bohemians, Moravians and Slovaks first began to come to New Zealand through Australia and Tahiti in the 1860s. The main flow of migration in recent years followed the suppression of "The Prague Spring" in 1968. While the Czech community in New Zealand is small, there have been a number of prominent individuals, notably the late Fred Turnovsky ONZ, OBE (1916-1994), a well-known Wellington businessman who was influential in the post-war development of music in New Zealand. There is also a small community of New Zealanders in the Czech Republic. A number of New Zealand soldiers who fell in World War Two are buried in Commonwealth War Graves in the Czech Republic.

Between the Czech Republic and New Zealand there is a strong record of cooperation in multilateral areas. As small countries, we each work through international bodies to ensure our voices are heard.

Generally, New Zealand has a positive, though low, profile among Czechs who know something about this country. Media coverage portrays beautiful, rural scenery - an impression reinforced by the popularity of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Many associate the kiwifruit with New Zealand, are aware of Maori as the tangata whenua but otherwise know little of New Zealand's history, politics or economy.

Key facts

Geography/Demographics

Land Area: 78,866 sq km
Population: 10.2 million (2007)
Capital City: Prague (Praha)
Language: Czech

Political

Political system: Parliamentary Republic
National government: Coalition government of Civic Democratic Party (ODS), Christian Democrats and the Greens
National legislature: Bicameral; Lower House Chamber of Deputies - 200 members; The Senate - 81 members
Last election: February 2008
Next election due: October 2009 (Chamber of Deputies), October 2010 (Senate), February 2013 (President)
Head of State: President Vaclav Klaus (re-elected February 2008)
Head of Government: Interim Prime Minister Jan Fischer (appointed May 2009)

Economic (2008 est.)

GDP: US$221.1 billion
Real GDP growth: 4.2%
Exports: US$149.427 billion
Main exports: Machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, raw materials and fuels
Imports: US$143.676 billion
Inflation: 6.6%
Unemployment: 5.6%

New Zealand Trade (year ended December 2008)

NZ Exports (FOB): NZ$ 12.7 million
Main Exports: Wool, plants, milking machinery
NZ Imports (CIF): NZ$60.7 million
Main Imports: motor cars, tyres, tools, electrical apparatustop of page

 

Visits

New Zealand High Level Visits to Czech Republic

• Hon Margaret Wilson - Speaker, and Parliamentary Delegation April 2008
• Dame Silvia Cartwright, Governor General October 2004
• Hon Trevor Mallard - Minister of Education October 2003
• Hon Jim Sutton - Minister of Trade Negotiations May 2003
• Hon Phil Goff - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade May 2002
• Hon Michael Cullen - Minister of Finance September 2000
• Rt Hon Don McKinnon - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade December 1994
  

Czech Republic Ministerial Visits to New Zealand

• Seante Committee on Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions, September 2008
• Senate Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, May 2006
• Cyril Svoboda - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs February 2004
• Dr Martin Palous - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs July 2001
• Senator Burda - Led group of Czech Senators November 1999
• President Vaclav Havel - President of the Czech Republic March 1995
• Josef Tosovsky - Governor Czech Central Bank March 1995
• Vaclav Klaus - Minister of Finance and former Prime Minister July 1991
• Alexander Dubcek - Chairman -Federal Assembly Czech and Slovak Federal Rep May 1991

Representation

• The New Zealand Ambassador to Germany is accredited to the Czech Republic.
• The Czech Ambassador in Canberra is accredited to New Zealand.

Travel advice

The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to the Czech Republic [external link].

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