Industry and trade minister Havlicek comes out in favor of lifting EU sanctions on Russia

The recently appointed Czech minister of industry and trade, Karel Havlíček, is in favor of lifting European Union sanctions against Russia, Hospodářské noviny reported on Monday. Mr. Havlíček, who is an ANO appointee, said at a recent meeting with the Russian ambassador to Prague that the sanctions were harming the Czech Republic and ought to be removed, the newspaper said, citing sources at the ministries of industry and trade and foreign affairs. 

The EU introduced the penalties in 2014 following Russian aggression toward Ukraine. 

The minister of foreign affairs, Tomáš Petříček, and the minister of finance, Alena Schillerová, told Hospodářské noviny that the Prague government continued to support them.