Article by Hans Weber

Deputy Foreign Minister Marie Chatardová Presents Four Key Czech Diplomatic Appointments

One day after the first meeting between newly departing Czech ambassadors and representatives of Czech business, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued the initiative on 20 August 2026 with a second gathering devoted to four particularly important destinations: the United States, Italy, Portugal and Qatar.

Organised by the Ministry’s Department of Economic and Science Diplomacy, the meeting once again brought together representatives of Czech companies, business associations and the professional community with diplomats preparing to take up senior posts abroad.

The objective was highly practical: to allow Czech companies to establish direct personal contacts with the people who will soon represent the Czech Republic in some of its most important political and commercial partner countries.

The Foreign Ministry described the two-day series of meetings on 19 and 20 August as an opportunity to discuss economic priorities, investment conditions and business opportunities in foreign markets. On the second day, Czech companies met the newly departing heads of mission for Washington, Rome, Lisbon and Doha. A separate round table was also organised with incoming Czech Ambassador to the United States Jakub Kulhánek, focusing specifically on developments in Czech-American economic relations, the US business environment and opportunities for Czech exporters and investors.

Marie Chatardová – One of the Czech Republic’s Most Experienced Diplomats

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister Marie Chatardová, one of the best-known and most experienced personalities in contemporary Czech diplomacy.

Chatardová was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on 15 December 2025, after returning to the Ministry following a long series of senior diplomatic assignments. She holds the diplomatic rank of ambassador and has represented the Czech Republic in several of the most important centres of international diplomacy.

From 2021 to 2025, she served as Czech Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Before that, between 2016 and 2021, she was the Czech Republic’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Her period at the United Nations included one particularly distinguished international role: from July 2017 to July 2018 she served as President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, one of the principal organs of the UN.

Earlier, from 2010 to 2016, Chatardová served as Czech Ambassador to France and later also as Permanent Delegate of the Czech Republic to UNESCO.

Her experience therefore combines bilateral diplomacy, multilateral diplomacy and representation in some of the Czech Republic’s most strategically important partner countries.

That background made her particularly well suited to chair a meeting devoted simultaneously to Europe, the Gulf region and the United States.

She knows from personal experience that an ambassador’s work extends far beyond political reporting. Modern diplomacy increasingly involves economic relations, investment promotion, science, technology, education and the active support of national companies seeking opportunities abroad.

Four Ambassadors – Four Very Different Markets

The four diplomatic appointments presented at the 20 August meeting represent very different political and economic environments.

Jakub Kulhánek is taking over as Czech Ambassador to the United States of America.

Radek Rubeš is becoming Czech Ambassador to Italy.

Jaroslav Zajíček has been appointed Czech Ambassador to Portugal.

And Marta Hušková will represent the Czech Republic as Ambassador to Qatar.

Each posting offers different opportunities for Czech companies, ranging from advanced technologies and defence cooperation in the United States to industrial partnerships in Italy, European market opportunities in Portugal and rapidly growing investment and technology sectors in Qatar.

Jakub Kulhánek Heads to Washington

Among the four appointments, the nomination of Jakub Kulhánek as Ambassador to the United States naturally attracted particular attention.

Washington is one of the most important diplomatic postings in the Czech foreign service.

The United States is a NATO ally, a major security partner of the Czech Republic and one of the world’s largest markets. The bilateral relationship covers defence and security, trade, investment, advanced technology, energy, science, education and political cooperation.

Kulhánek arrives at this important posting with an unusually broad combination of political, diplomatic and security-policy experience.

He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in 2021. Before becoming foreign minister, he held several senior government positions, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister of Defence and Deputy Minister of the Interior.

From 2022, Kulhánek served as Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations in New York, one of the country’s most important multilateral diplomatic posts. He formally presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres in February 2022.

His academic background is also strongly connected with the United States. Kulhánek holds a master’s degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., as well as a bachelor’s degree from the Institute of International Studies at Charles University in Prague.

Before entering senior government service, he worked as an analyst and researcher specialising in foreign and security policy and spent time working in Washington.

His return to Washington therefore represents something more than simply another foreign posting. He knows the American political environment from his studies and professional experience and combines this with direct knowledge of Czech government decision-making and international security policy.

A Particularly Important Relationship

For the Czech Republic, relations with the United States have a significance that goes far beyond conventional bilateral diplomacy.

Security is one obvious dimension. As NATO allies, the Czech Republic and the United States cooperate closely on defence, military capabilities and broader transatlantic security.

But the economic relationship has also grown significantly in importance.

The United States is particularly attractive for Czech companies operating in areas such as advanced manufacturing, aviation, defence technologies, cyber security, software, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, energy technologies and specialised engineering.

The economic geography of the United States is also changing. For Czech companies, opportunities are no longer limited to traditional centres such as New York, Washington or California.

Texas in particular has become increasingly significant for Czech economic diplomacy. In March 2026, a Czech business and innovation mission led by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček visited Washington and Austin. The visit also resulted in a joint declaration on cooperation between the Czech Republic and the State of Texas, creating a framework for closer cooperation in trade, investment, innovation and technological development.

For Ambassador Kulhánek, supporting these expanding economic links will therefore form an important part of his work in Washington.

A Dedicated Round Table on the United States

The importance attached to the American market was reflected in the programme on 20 August.

In addition to the general presentation of the newly departing ambassadors, the Foreign Ministry organised a separate round table with Jakub Kulhánek.

Participants included representatives of Czech companies interested in exporting to or investing in the United States.

The discussion focused on the current development of Czech-American commercial relations, conditions for doing business in the United States and opportunities for Czech companies in the American market.

Such direct exchanges are particularly valuable in the case of the United States. The American market is enormous, but it is also highly competitive and can be complex for European companies unfamiliar with its regulatory, legal and commercial environment.

A Czech company considering expansion into the United States therefore benefits not only from general market information but also from practical advice provided by the Czech diplomatic network.

Embassies and consulates can help companies understand regional differences, identify suitable partners, establish contacts with institutions and provide support during trade missions and investment projects.

For an entrepreneur, having already personally met the new ambassador before beginning activities in the United States can be a considerable advantage.

Radek Rubeš – From the Foreign Ministry to Rome

The new Czech Ambassador to Italy, Radek Rubeš, also brings considerable diplomatic and administrative experience to his posting.

Rubeš joined the Czech Foreign Ministry in 1999 and has served in a wide range of diplomatic positions.

His earlier overseas assignments included work at the Czech Embassy in Cairo and as Deputy Head of Mission in Pretoria. Between 2012 and 2016 he headed the Czech Liaison Office in Ramallah, and from 2017 to 2021 he served as Czech Ambassador to Zambia.

In September 2022 he was appointed State Secretary at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, giving him extensive experience not only abroad but also with the internal management of the Czech diplomatic service.

He now moves to Rome.

Italy is one of the Czech Republic’s major European economic partners. The relationship encompasses industrial production, automotive supply chains, mechanical engineering, energy, transport, tourism, food, design and a wide range of medium-sized businesses.

For Czech companies, Italy therefore offers not simply a large consumer market but also an important industrial partner within the European Union.

Jaroslav Zajíček – A European Specialist in Lisbon

The new Czech Ambassador to Portugal, Jaroslav Zajíček, is another diplomat with considerable international experience.

He has worked in the Czech foreign service since 1999 and participated in preparations for the Czech Republic’s accession to the European Union.

His career has been particularly closely connected with European affairs.

Between 2011 and 2016, Zajíček served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Czech Embassy in Washington, giving him extensive experience of Czech-American relations as well.

From 2016 to 2023 he worked at the Czech Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels, where he served as Deputy Permanent Representative and represented the Czech Republic in COREPER I, one of the key preparatory bodies of the Council of the European Union.

From 2023 until July 2026, he headed the Foreign Affairs Department of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic.

Only four days after the Prague meeting, on 24 August 2026, Zajíček presented his credentials to the President of Portugal and officially became the Czech Republic’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Lisbon.

His extensive background in European affairs should prove particularly useful in Portugal, where many bilateral economic issues are closely linked with broader EU policy.

Marta Hušková – A Middle East Specialist for Qatar

The fourth appointment presented at the meeting was Marta Hušková, the Czech Republic’s new Ambassador to Qatar.

Hušková has worked in the Czech foreign service since 2005 and specialises in the Middle East, North Africa and security policy.

She has served at the Czech Embassy in Beirut and worked in the Foreign Ministry’s security policy and Middle East and North Africa departments.

Between 2019 and 2023 she was Deputy Head of Mission at the Czech Embassy in Riga. More recently, she worked in the Foreign Affairs Department of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic.

Her regional expertise makes her appointment to Doha particularly appropriate.

Qatar has developed into an influential political, financial and economic centre in the Gulf.

For Czech companies, the country offers opportunities in areas including infrastructure, technology, healthcare, biotechnology, energy, aviation, hospitality and specialised services.

Although Qatar is geographically small, its financial capacity, international investments and ambition to develop new economic sectors give it significance far beyond its population size.

For Czech exporters seeking opportunities in the Gulf region, Doha can therefore serve as an important point of entry.

Diplomats as Economic Partners

The common theme linking Washington, Rome, Lisbon and Doha was economic diplomacy.

An ambassador’s traditional responsibilities remain political: representing the Czech Republic, maintaining relations with the host government and reporting on political developments.

But modern ambassadors increasingly have another responsibility – assisting their country’s companies.

This can involve opening doors to ministries and government agencies, introducing exporters to local partners, organising business missions, identifying investment projects, explaining local conditions or supporting Czech companies when they encounter administrative obstacles.

The Ministry’s Department of Economic and Science Diplomacy therefore has a particularly important function.

Its role is to connect the diplomatic network with Czech business and make sure that political relationships abroad can also generate tangible economic opportunities.

The meetings on 19 and 20 August were a practical example of precisely this approach.

Personal Contacts Before Departure

There is also a simple human advantage to organising these meetings shortly before ambassadors leave Prague.

A company may later contact an embassy with a request for assistance.

If the ambassador has already met the company’s representatives in Prague and understands its products, projects and objectives, cooperation can begin at a very different level.

Instead of a first introductory email, there is already a personal connection.

For small and medium-sized Czech companies in particular, such access can be important.

Large multinational companies generally have their own international networks and advisers.

A smaller Czech engineering, technology or healthcare company may depend much more heavily on the local knowledge and contacts of an embassy.

This is one reason why direct interaction between Czech business and Czech ambassadors is much more than diplomatic networking.

It can become a practical export tool.

Part of Prague’s Diplomatic August

The timing of the two business meetings was also closely connected with the annual rhythm of Czech diplomacy.

Every year in the second half of August, heads of Czech diplomatic missions return to Prague for the annual ambassadors’ meeting at the Czernin Palace.

In 2026, the conference took place from 24 to 28 August.

This period creates an exceptional opportunity.

For a few days, diplomats normally scattered across continents are together in the Czech capital.

Government leaders can brief the diplomatic corps on national priorities, ambassadors can exchange experiences from their respective countries and the Foreign Ministry can coordinate political, security and economic objectives.

At the same time, business representatives can meet diplomats responsible for markets that would otherwise require trips to Washington, Doha, Lisbon or Rome.

The meetings of 19 and 20 August showed how this concentration of diplomatic expertise can be used to strengthen the connection between Czech foreign policy and Czech economic interests.

From Prague to Washington, Rome, Lisbon and Doha

Within days of the meeting, the four diplomats would leave Prague and begin or continue their assignments abroad.

Their destinations could hardly be more different.

Washington is the political centre of the Czech Republic’s most important transatlantic ally and one of the world’s largest markets.

Rome represents a major European partner with deep industrial and commercial ties to Czechia.

Lisbon provides access to another important EU economy and to Portugal’s wider historical and commercial links across the Portuguese-speaking world.

Doha represents one of the Gulf’s most dynamic investment centres and an increasingly important market for technology and specialised services.

Yet all four assignments share one objective: representing and promoting Czech interests abroad.

That includes political interests, security interests and cultural relations.

But increasingly it also means creating opportunities for Czech companies.

The meeting chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister Marie Chatardová on 20 August therefore demonstrated a modern understanding of diplomacy: political representation and economic promotion are not separate tasks but complementary elements of the same mission.

And the special attention given to Jakub Kulhánek before his departure for Washington reflected the exceptional importance of the Czech-American relationship.

For Czech companies looking across the Atlantic, the arrival of a new ambassador with experience in government, foreign affairs, security policy, the United Nations and Washington itself provides an opportunity to further deepen a relationship that already extends far beyond traditional diplomacy.

For one afternoon in Prague, companies had the chance to establish that relationship before the new ambassadors even boarded their flights.