Jiří Slavík is a geophysicist by profession who has also worked at the municipal level. He is a career diplomat who
is dedicated to the Arab world, where he is very active in the economic diplomacy of the Czech Republic. He has
served at the Czech Embassies in Egypt as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Currently, he serves as
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to the United Arab Emirates. He is actively
supporting the preparation of EXPO 2020 in Dubai.
You have been representing the Czech Republic in the Arab world for some time. How have you been managing in promoting our interests in the framework of economic diplomacy?
Our Republic has traditionally had excellent relations with Arab countries. These are supported both by ties on the political level and by developed economic cooperation. We are a strongly proexport economy, and that makes opportunities on the local market very interesting for us. The Arab countries, whose economies are often dependent on oil and gas production, place a strong emphasis on diversifi cation and the transfer of new technologies. Here we are interesting partners for them; these are our strengths. The UAE is our largest trading partner among all Arab countries. The UAE’s position vis-à-vis the Czech Republic and other Schengen area countries is emphasised by the fact that UAE citizens have visafree travel with these countries. It will be important to see how we can further expand the links on both sides to areas with signifi cant added value for cooperation in the coming period.
The postponed Universal World Expo 2020 in Dubai starts in October this year. What opportunities does this resent for Czech companies?
For the United Arab Emirates, EXPO is the largest international event held on its territory. Since winning the hosting rights, they have paid particular attention to the preparation of the EXPO. They are motivated by the fact that the timing of the exhibition falls exactly on the year that the UAE celebrates its 50th anniversary since its creation. I am convinced that Czech companies can use EXPO as a springboard. Despite the very strong competition on the local market, they have the potential to break through and off er products that are in demand. The promising sectoral opportunities include the energy industry (increasing the share of renewable energy sources), the defence and security industry (a sector with increasing government spending), information and communication technologies, the use of artificial intelligence technologies (smart city projects) and healthcare (building new hospitals and medical facilities).
The United Arab Emirates is an innovative country. Do you also see opportunities for cooperation in research and development, for example, between universities?
I am pleased to say that we have very good examples of cooperation. I could mention robotics, where cooperation between teams on both sides has developed in recent years and is further supported by this year’s centenary of the concept of the robot, first mentioned by Karel Čapek. The fact that a number of local graduates come from our medical faculties creates room for the application of Czech medicine in local medical institutions and research institutes. In general, I would like to note that the Czech Republic enjoys an excellent reputation in the UAE and the Gulf countries. It esonates above all with its human potential, high level of education and expertise, knowledge of languages, as well as the ability to acquire contacts and to adapt to local living conditions. The Czech Republic has traditionally enjoyed a reputation as an ideal tourist and spa destination, allowing UAE citizens to visit the Czech Republic for treatment, rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
Thank you for the interview.
