VZCZCXYZ0008
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPG #1089 2631310
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201310Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9647
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001089 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/NCE FOR ALEX TRATENSEK, INR/EUC FOR ADRIAN HARMATA AND 
DAVID ARMITAGE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EUN EZ PGOV PREL EAGR
SUBJECT: CZECHS TO APPOINT FORMER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE 
AS THEIR NEW EU AMBASSADOR (C-RE7-01285) 
 
REF: SECSTATE 124973 
 
¶1.  (SBU) The former Czech Agriculture Minister, Milena 
Vicenova, will become the new Czech Ambassador to the 
European Union.  She will replace Jan Kohout, who was 
formally recalled by the President on September 19.  Vicena 
is likely to take up the post before the end of the year. 
The Embassy, particularly the Foreign Agriculture Service, 
has had an excellent, long-standing working relationship with 
Minister Vicenova.  Of note, the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture funded her participation in the Cochran 
Fellowship program in 1999.  While she is multilingual, known 
as an intelligent interlocutor, and strong on agriculture 
issues, she appears to be a relative novice with respect to 
EU bureaucracy, which could hamper Czech preparations for its 
EU Presidency beginning in January 2009. 
 
Priorities - Known for Anti-Corruption 
-------------------------------------- 
¶2.  (U) After more than ten years working in various sections 
within the Agriculture Ministry, Vicenova was briefly 
elevated to Agriculture Minister between September 2006 and 
January 2007.  During her tenure, she was known for her 
efforts to address corruption, removing several high-ranking 
officials.  Officially, her ministry's top two priorities 
were preparing for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 
"health check" in 2008 and the Czech EU presidency commencing 
in January 2009. 
 
Agriculture Reform and Biotechnology 
------------------------------------ 
¶3.  (U) On agricultural matters, Vicenova was known to 
support agricultural reforms that led toward market 
liberalization.  As well, she viewed biotechnology 
positively, although she was always quick to point out that 
the Czech Republic was bound by the EU legislation on 
genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  Nonetheless, the 
Czech Republic is among the liberal states within the EU that 
supports a science-based approach. 
 
An Unknown on EU Matters 
------------------------ 
¶4.  (SBU) For the last several months, prior to this 
appointment, Vicenova has been with the National Education 
Fund as a project manager and also advising the Ministry of 
Regional Development on EU funding.  While Dr. Vicenova has 
very strong credentials in the area of agriculture, since she 
is a former veterinarian with many years experience within 
the Agriculture Ministry, her knowledge and experience 
working on EU matters appears relatively limited.  In 
addition to her focus on the EU during her brief tenure as 
Minister, and her current work on EU funding, Vicenova served 
as MinAg Director of EU Relations in 2003. 
 
Comment:  ODS wants their own Ambassador 
---------------------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) Kohout's tenure in Brussels was due to end in early 
¶2008.  The government faced the choice of extending him 
through the 2009 EU Presidency, or replacing him now (the MFA 
is shifting many senior staff in the summer and fall of 2007, 
and does not plan to make any significant personnel rotations 
next year so that all staff are familiar with their 
responsibilities before the Presidency begins).  While Kohout 
has a reputation here as having served well in Brussels, he 
is also known as a sympathizer of the opposition Social 
Democrats (CSSD), and in fact was briefly considered as a 
possible CSSD nominee as Prime Minister.  The ruling ODS (out 
of government for eight years prior to the 2006 election) has 
made no secret of its desire to see its own people in key 
positions.  The choice of Vicenova has generated little 
grumbling here, aside from the predictable complaints from 
CSSD.  Vicenova is not a member of ODS or any political 
party.  She, like several other independents who served 
briefly in last year's minority ODS government, is seen as a 
competent and dedicated public servant.  She can be expected 
to faithfully carry out instructions from Prague. 
GRABER