RFE/RL
RFE/RL broadcasts in 21 countries in 28 languages, including Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia. Follow us on Twitter @RFERL and Facebook
-
Ron Synovitz interviews Czech Foreign Minister Karel Swarzenberg on the Belarus Boycott of the EU-Eastern Partnership Prague meeting on Monday, March 5.
Swarzenberg tells RFE/RL: “Well, they were invited to the meeting — the Visegrad Four with the Eastern Partnership neighbors because basically [Belarus is] one of the Eastern Partnership neighbors. But they declined to come. They said that they are not invited at the foreign minister’s level, which is true, due to the events — let’s put it that way — which happened in Minsk. And so they didn’t come. But they are still part of the [Eastern Partnership] program.”
-
In case you missed our Friday Photos From…Facebook gallery.
Friday Photos From…Prague
The photos showcase the talent of Suiorkul Doorov, a Kyrgyz artist who first exhibition is being shown at the Morna Art Gallery in Prague, a new gallery that strives to provide a platform for young artists. The gallery opened in July 2011 and Doorov’s exhibit,”The Firstling”, opened January 6, 2012.
In an interview with Venera Djumataeva, Director of Radio Azattyk, Suiorkul said that he identifies with Vasily Vereschagin (1842-1909), the great Russian painter who brought the very first pictures and portraits from Central Asia to Russia and Europe, introducing a whole new audience to the beauty and traditions of Central Asia, and especially Ferghana Valley. Suiorkul believes his paintings bring to new European audiences a fresh vision of everyday life in Central Asia.
Suiorkul, 27, was born and grew up in the town Isfana, in the remote Batken region on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. In his paintings, Suiorkul reflects the richness of his own multicultural background, combining features of Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Tajik culture and allowing people of various ethnicities to live together in his art.
All pictures were taken by our RFE/RL colleague Torokul Doorov, Suiorkul’s brother.
Read more news from Radio Azattyk. -
In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL’s Ukraine Service, Oleksandr Tymoshenko, husband of imprisoned former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, says he was forced to leave Ukraine and seek asylum abroad because of authorities’ use of “dirty methods” to persecute his family. Tymoshenko spoke at RFE/RL’s studios after Czech authorities granted him asylum.
A complete interview in Ukrainian is also available.
For additional news on Ukraine, please follow Radio Svoboda online (also in Russian). For breaking news in all RFE/RL broadcast regions, also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. -
Reports: Tymoshenko’s Husband Seeking Asylum In Czech Republic
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has confirmed reports that the husband of Ukraine’s jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko has asked for asylum in the Czech Republic.
Earlier, the Czech daily “Pravo” said Oleksandr Tymoshyenko asked for asylum at the end of last year. The Reuters news agency quoting a Czech government source also carried the same report.
“Pravo” said on January 6 that the Czech interior and foreign ministers discussed the issue on January 4.
“Pravo’s” website says it is “very likely” Oleksandr Tymoshenko, a 51-year-old businessman who also has business interests in the Czech Republic, will be granted asylum. -
Mourners light candles and lay flowers at Prague’s Wenceslas Square on December 22 to pay their respects to former Czech President Vaclav Havel.
-
![Czech Republic Bids Farewell To Vaclav Havel
A serious mind, he was also known for his whimsical sense of humor — he placed a large red heart atop the castle and, early on, liked to ride around its corridors on a scooter — and love of rock music and avant-garde theater…[READ MORE]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwnh2ij7xb1qkgi6go1_500.jpg)
Czech Republic Bids Farewell To Vaclav Havel
A serious mind, he was also known for his whimsical sense of humor — he placed a large red heart atop the castle and, early on, liked to ride around its corridors on a scooter — and love of rock music and avant-garde theater…[READ MORE]
-
![RFE/RL Remembers Vaclav Havel
In honor of former Czech and Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel, who died on December 18, RFE/RL has projected an image of his face on the front of its headquarters in Prague. [READ MORE]
Havel’s image will be visible for the entire three-day mourning period declared in the Czech Republic.A longtime listener of its Czechoslovak broadcasts, Havel invited RFE/RL to move to Prague from Munich in the early 1990s, which it did in 1995. [See the image on our FB page as well]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwlmh5684s1qkgi6go1_500.jpg)
RFE/RL Remembers Vaclav Havel
In honor of former Czech and Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel, who died on December 18, RFE/RL has projected an image of his face on the front of its headquarters in Prague. [READ MORE]
Havel’s image will be visible for the entire three-day mourning period declared in the Czech Republic.
A longtime listener of its Czechoslovak broadcasts, Havel invited RFE/RL to move to Prague from Munich in the early 1990s, which it did in 1995. [See the image on our FB page as well] -
Havel Mourned As Czechs Escort Remains To Prague Castle
PRAGUE — The Czech Republic has begun three-days of official mourning for former dissident and president Vaclav Havel.Havel will be buried in a state funeral in Prague on December 23 with many world leaders expected to attend, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
People around the world have paid tribute to Havel, with many calling him a key historical figure of the 20th century. He shaped the Charter 77 movement that challenged communist abuses head-on, wrote influential works like his “The Power of the Powerless” essay, and remained committed to human rights and dignity in the face of repression throughout his life.
-
Czechs Pay Respects To Vaclav Havel
As news spread of the death of former President Vaclav Havel, Czech citizens lit candles and placed flowers on Prague’s Wenceslas Square and at the memorial on Narodni Street for the student demonstrations that ushered in the Velvet Revolution. Czech flutist Jiří Stivín made an impromptu appearance in Havel’s honor.
