The Czech Republic reopened its honorary consulate in Jerusalem on Wednesday following promises by President Miloš Zeman to eventually move his country’s embassy to the Israeli capital.
Dan Propper, a 78-year-old Israeli Czech businessman, was named as the honorary consul.
“I see my contribution as being especially focused on economic relations because I have links to the local entrepreneurial community,” Propper told to the Czech news outlet CTK.
The honorary consulate was first opened in the early 1990s, but closed in 2016 due to the death of the honorary consul.
In late April, Czech President Miloš Zeman announced a “three-stage” plan to relocate the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which included the reopening of the consulate.
Nevertheless, the Czech Foreign Ministry has downplayed Zeman’s intentions on the embassy move.
“The Czech Republic fully respects common policy of the European Union, which considers Jerusalem as the future capital of both the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine,” the Czech foreign ministry said following Zeman’s announcement.
In recent weeks, the United States, Guatemala and Paraguay have relocated their embassies to Jerusalem.
