CONTACT: AshLee Strong, Doug Andres
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PRAGUE—House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has begun a two-day official visit to the Czech Republic that will include a historic address to the country’s parliament. The visit marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of U.S.-Czech relations. Speaker Ryan is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the Czech Republic since President Obama in 2009.
“It is wonderful to be in Prague to commemorate this milestone in relations between the United States and the Czech Republic,” Speaker Ryan said. “Our countries continue to enjoy strong ties, made even stronger by our commitment to democratic ideals and the NATO alliance. I look forward to meeting with Czech leaders to discuss ways we can expand our security cooperation and economic partnerships in the years ahead.”
As part of his visit, Speaker Ryan will meet with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Radek Vondráček, andU.S. Ambassador Stephen B. King. Speaker Ryan met with Ambassador King last week in the U.S. Capitol.
Speaker Ryan with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis
The centerpiece of Speaker Ryan’s visit is an address he will give on Tuesday at a special session of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Czech Parliament. Ryan will be the first American leader in history to address this body. An advisory from the Chamber of Deputies is included below.
“I am deeply honored by Speaker Vondráček’s invitation to address the Chamber of Deputies,” Speaker Ryan added. “This is yet another tribute to the warm friendship between the American and Czech peoples, who share common bonds of history and values.”
This is the fourth foreign visit of Ryan’s speakership. Speaker Ryan visited Europe last spring, leading a delegation to the United Kingdom, Poland, Norway, and Estonia, to reaffirm America’s commitment to NATO and our transatlantic alliances.
