New Czech Ambassadors to Turkey and Switzerland

"Petr Štěpánek, who is moving from Baghdad, will represent Czech diplomacy in Ankara. A former ambassador, Tomáš Podivínský, will also go to Bern. Both have extensive experience in diplomacy and in leading major embassies where they represented Czechia as ambassadors," said Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský.

Petr Štěpánek has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2003, he worked at embassies in Zagreb and Ankara and as ambassador, he headed embassies in Iran, Afghanistan and most recently in Iraq. At the MFA headquarters, he has worked in the UN Department and the Department of South East European Countries.

Tomáš Podivínský has worked at the MFA since 1996, among others at the Embassy in Vienna, as Director of the Minister's Cabinet and subsequently as Head of the Consulate General in Dresden and Ambassador to Germany. He was also Minister of the Environment.

Both of the above-mentioned heads of embassies have already received approval from the receiving country, the so-called agrément, and will travel to Turkey and Switzerland during this summer.