Czechs take over EU presidency

PRAGUE, June 30 (AFP): The Czech Republic will take over the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union on Friday with all eyes on Ukraine, which has been battling Russian forces since February.
To kick off its presidency, the Czech government will meet European commissioners at a chateau for talks, followed by a concert.
But the Czech turn at the helm-taking over from France-is unlikely to offer much leisure as the war rages on four months into the Russian invasion, analysts say. "This presidency is not geared for good weather, but for bad times," Pavel Havlicek of the Prague-based Association for International Affairs told AFP.
The Central European country of 10.5 million people, an EU-member since 2004, has vowed to focus largely on aid to Ukraine and the war's repercussions.
It wants to help contain the refugee crisis, launch a post-war reconstruction effort, boost the EU's energy security, defence capacities and economic resilience, and improve the resilience of its democratic institutions.