Novinky, March 16th, 1318, translation of Czech:
Lipavský would be in favor of financing Radio Free Europe from European money
The European Union should consider taking over the financing of Radio Free Europe after the Donald Trump administration no longer wants to pay for the station's operation. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said this on Sunday in a discussion program on Czech Television.
We have to think in Europe about whether we want Radio Liberty to continue," the minister said. He added that he wants to discuss this with the foreign ministers of the EU countries in the coming days.
According to the minister, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which is based in Prague, needs about three billion crowns a year to operate. According to Lipavský, the station's broadcasts are "an anchor for many democratically minded people" in a number of countries, such as Iran, Russia and Afghanistan.
On Friday, the US president (Donald Trump) ordered several agencies, including the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which funds the station, to limit their activities "to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law." He justifies the restriction by reducing the federal bureaucracy.
Gift to enemies
The station's chief executive, Stephen Capus, called the move "a huge gift to America's enemies." "As a result of this move, up to 50 million listeners in closed societies who depend on us every week for accurate news and information will not have access to the truth about America and the world," Capus said. "The demise of RFE/RL after 75 years would be celebrated by autocrats in Moscow and Minsk," he added.
In addition to RFE/RL, the changes will also affect Radio Voice of America, whose employees have already received a message not to go to work.
(Mike Barraclough UK/BDXC)
Additional post:
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský plans to discuss with his EU counterparts, at a meeting on Monday, the continuation of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which will no longer be funded by the US administration. "It is in Europe's interest for these broadcasts to continue," the Czech foreign minister said. For her part, MEP Danuše Nerudová wants to discuss the future of the Prague-based media outlet at a meeting of the European Parliament.
"It is in Europe's interest for such broadcasts to continue," Lipavský said, emphasizing that RFE/RL supports democratic forces in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Additional text: https://www.facebook.com/Radiosdumonde/
