Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country chairs the European Union until June 30, Wednesday backed Turkey's aspirations to join the 27-member bloc.

"I would like to repeat and resolutely and loudly say that the Czech Republic is on the side of those who support Turkey's entry to the EU," Klaus said after meeting his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul in Prague.

Prague - Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha submitted Tuesday his country's application for membership in the European Union, an initial step on Balkan state's long journey to the 27-member bloc. Berisha handed over the application to Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country chairs the EU until June 30.

The Czech Republic's EU presidency is to pass Albania's membership request to the council of the EU member states for consideration.

Prague - Outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek declared Monday that the Czech Republic's presidency of the European Union would effectively end a month early when his caretaker government leaves office on May 8. The country officially holds the rotating presidency until the end of June, but has been thrown into chaos by the toppling of its own government in a no-confidence vote last month.

Prague - Czech police said Saturday they had released David Duke, former leader of US extremist group the Ku Klux Klan, and ordered him to leave the Czech Republic by midnight. On Friday, police charged Duke with the hate crime of supporting and promoting movements suppressing human rights.

Duke had planned to give talks this weekend in the capital as well as in the country's second largest city of Brno. He is visiting the Czech Republic at the invitation of local neo-Nazis to publicize the translation of his 1998 memoir, My Awakening.

Prague - The European Union is to hold a summit with South Korea in Seoul on May 23, officials said Tuesday. The meeting will be chaired by Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the
27-member bloc.

Acting Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and his visiting South Korean counterpart Han Seung-Soo told reporters the summit would tackle economic issues.

Prague  - The Czech Republic announced Monday evening that it was breaking off its attendance at the UN racism conference in Geneva in protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's anti- Israel speech.

A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry described as unacceptable his description of the Israeli government as racist. Prague therefore did not wish to lend weight to the "anti-Israeli attacks" of Ahmedinejad by remaining present at the conference.