Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek unexpectedly visited Czech soldiers in Afghanistan on Thursday, the Government Office said in Prague.
Topolanek made the exceptional trip in connection with last week's bomb explosion in the east Afghan province Logar, in which a Czech soldier died and another four were wounded.
On return to Prague in late afternoon, Topolanek told reporters that neither a human mistake nor shortcomings in the logistic or technical equipment of the Czech soldiers were behind the tragedy in Afghanistan.
In spite of this, he said he will do his utmost for the supply of better equipment for the Czech missions to be sped up.
Referring to Topolanek's trip earlier Thursday, Czech government spokeswoman Jana Bartosova said he first stopped over in the field hospital and at the ISAF chemical warfare unit operating at the international airport in Kabul. Afterwards he moved to the U.S. base Shank in Logar where the Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is based.
The Czech PRT has been operating in Logar since March. It comprises 200 soldiers and six civilian experts who prepare projects in the health, education, water management and security areas, aimed to support Logar's development.
The PRT team is to operate in the province for three years at least.
After Lithuania and Hungary, the Czech Republic has become the third NATO member with a PRT in Afghanistan.
It also runs a field hospital in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul and a special Czech military police unit will soon engage in combat in the southwestern province of Hilmand.
Source:Xinhua
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