Prague - Russia's largest oil producer Lukoil would like to buy into a Czech refinery, the business daily Hospodarske Noviny reported Friday, citing Lukoil president Vagit Alekperov.

Lukoil, which already owns a chain of 44 petrol stations in the Czech Republic, was especially interested in a share in Ceska Rafinerska, the country's largest crude processing firm.

"We would be satisfied with 16 per cent," the Hospodarske Noviny business daily cited Alekperov as saying.

Prague  - Lenka Cilova had been joking when she said she could be in for 15 minutes of fame before boarding her long-planned New York flight on Monday.

Then it happened.

"Can I start over?" the petite, blue-eyed blonde asked a mob of reporters who swarmed the 27-year-old film producer with blinding camera lights at Prague's international airport as she joined four other Czechs, including two government ministers, who hopped a plane to the United States without a visa in their passports.

New Delhi, Nov 17 : Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath on Monday stated that there is a need to develop diversified economic relations and at the same time continuous efforts are needed at bilateral and multilateral levels.

During his bilateral meeting with Martin Riman, Czech Trade Minister, here today, he informed that today our bilateral trade has crossed one billion dollar and is increasing rapidly.

Vienna - Slovakia outpaced other Central European economies in the third quarter, posting solid growth while the 15-nation eurozone slid into recession, official data showed Friday.

Neighbouring Czech Republic even posted a slight increase in gross domestic product (GDP), bucking a trend toward slowing growth that has not spared the once rollicking ex-communist economies.

Prague - The Czech economy expanded while the country's chief export market, the 15-member eurozone, officially fell into recession, a government estimate showed Friday.

The Czech Republic's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 4.7 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2008, according to the Czech Statistical Office's early estimate.

Prague - Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski Friday called for patience before US president-elect Barack Obama makes up his mind on the fate of US missile defence plans in Eastern Europe.

Speaking to reporters in Prague, Sikorski said Obama told him he wants to make sure the system works. The minister would not say what that could mean for project's future.

"We should patiently wait until the new administration is formed and until they make up their mind," Sikorski said.