PRAGUE: Former NATO general Petr Pavel was on Thursday sworn in as president of the Czech Republic and stressed the importance of unity in supporting war-torn Ukraine.
“Central Europe’s single voice will be important if we are to help Ukraine prevail,” he said at the ceremony at Prague Castle, vowing to lift his country’s reputation abroad “to a new level”.
Pavel said Ukraine can serve as a model as it “has shown us and our partners that unbreakable resolve is more than the advantage and strength of an aggressor”.
The 61-year-old was elected in January, having defeated former prime minister Andrej Babis, a billionaire populist, in the run-off.
Pavel will replace divisive, outspoken veteran politician Milos Zeman, whose last five-year term expired on Wednesday.
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