"The Lady from Damascus" is about to end. Doyenne of Czech diplomacy in Syria helped save many allies.
More than once, her life was on the line, yet she is still working in the Czech Republic's uniform in one of the most complex destinations on the planet. According to the findings of Lidovky.cz, the ambassador to Syria, Eva Filipi, is now expected to leave her post in Damascus.
Her diplomatic skills have been praised by the Americans. They reduced their presence in Damascus after the attack on Ambassador Robert Ford in 2011. Subsequently, the Czechs began to play the role of a liaison officer or protector of American interests (the so-called protecting power). This concerns primarily consular issues that affect the fate of specific American citizens. The reason why the US chose the Czech Republic was described six years ago by former Ambassador Ford himself to Foreign Policy magazine. "Eva (Filipi) had a better insight into the mindset of the Syrian government," he recalled.
Diplomacy did not want to comment on the exchange. "The process of appointing ambassadors is conducted in a classified mode and we cannot comment on the details," said Daniel Drake, a State Department spokesman. He added that the Czech embassy in Damascus would continue to act as a "protecting power".
The serious contender to succeed Filipi is again a woman. A generation younger, Esther Laufer
Laufer, the daughter of a famous Czech singer, does not speak Arabic and has worked in the Middle East in the past. She was consul general in Istanbul for six years. Before that, she worked in Iraq and Iran. She also gained experience in Afghanistan, where she prepared development projects. She was also employed by the non-profit organisation People in Need, where she co-organised, for example, the One World Festival.
Her service in Damascus includes handling a number of consular cases. These often include such things as tracing the bodies of deceased citizens who had dual citizenship - not only Syrian, but also the US or other Western countries that have decided to close their diplomatic missions in Syria for security or political reasons.
"Czech diplomacy has helped a number of specific Americans. Some of them we probably won't even know about," confirmed Břetislav Tureček, a Middle East expert at Metropolitan University Prague. Other countries, such as Germany and Poland, have also sought Czech help. In 2017, for example, Ambassador Filipi brokered the release of Leszek Panek, a Polish man who had been missing for two years. A year later, the extradition of two Germans was secured. Full article>
P.S.
I recall the case of the diplomat Dr. Jana Chaloupkova, who after many years of excellent diplomatic service to the country, was literally fired from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (the diplomat Jana Hybášková, caught driving a car considerably drunk, was promoted). Only because she refused to issue Schengen visas to untrustworthy persons at the Czech embassy in Morocco. The Czech embassy was supposed to sell visas for 4,000 Euros. It cannot at all be ruled out that the case is linked to the current Qatargate and the bribery of EU politicians, where large sums of money were apparently used to bribe politicians through non-banking channels. It is not surprising that the Czech media today is absolutely silent about the case of Dr. Jana Chaloupková, the same.
Big, unfair deals are showing their power again. No other explanation is offered. JŠ
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