PRAGUE, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka on Wednesday said the Czech Republic will defend the rights of Czech citizens living in Britain, and the interests of Czech exporters in negotiations with Britain.
Sobotka said another priority of the negotiations is the maintenance of free trade relations with Britain. He said he hopes that the gap to arise between Britain and the EU will be as small as possible and will enable good mutual cooperation.
Sobotka said he expects complex negotiations that might last more than the planned two years.
Czech Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Belobradek said Brexit means that the Czech Republic will lose an ally in Europe. It will also influence the volume of money in European cohesion funds. He previously said it is important that the position of Czech citizens in Britain does not worsen after Britain's departure from the EU.
Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek likened the situation to a difficult divorce, adding the British should not be punished for Brexit.
Czech government approved one month ago a declaration emphasizing the preservation of the rights of Czech citizens, economic relations and a defense and military alliance. It stressed the importance of the future arrangement of Czech-British relations in terms of internal as well as external security.
