Miroslav Kosek has worked in Afghanistan and Latvia as an ambassador and in Montenegro and Georgia as a diplomat. “Ethiopia is not my first diplomatic mission, and hopefully it is not the last,” Kosek says in an interview for M Magazine. In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has worked at the Ministry of the Interior and the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, where he was in charge of security policies.
Ambassador, where is this interview reaching you?
I am at the Czech embassy in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.
What is currently on your agenda?
I am the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ethiopia, but our agenda includes other countries – South Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, the Seychelles and the Union of the Comoros. However, ninety percent of our work pertains to Ethiopia. It is a destination with a challenging agenda in every way, be it preparation of political negotiations or development of long-term programmes. Ethiopians are tough partners in negotiations and our team never gets bored.
Why did you decide to link your career with international relations?
I must admit I did consider diplomacy during my studies, just like all students of international relations and political science. The fact that I ultimately managed to get to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foreign service was a result of circumstances, my field of study and wishes and coincides. Just like other things in life. Before your studies at Masaryk University you already had a degree from the Faculty of Education in Hradec Králové, and you even taught at a secondary school.
Why did you return to school for political science?
I studied at the Faculty of Education before 1989, and I wanted to experience everything that university studies offered after 1989. At that time, Masaryk University was opening the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Arts, so I sent an application. My second round of university studies was a minor “life complication”, but it certainly opened some doors. I must say that neither the studies nor any time spent in various fields and institutions was a waste of time. I always learned a lot and they brought me closer to what I really enjoy no matter how tough and challenging it may have been.
What are some of your good memories of the studies?
I remember the atmosphere of the studies in the 1990’s, or the founding of the Faculty of Social Studies and its people, some of whom are still there today. I try to stay in contact with many of them. In fact our prime minister sat at my oral admission exam.
Are you still in contact with Masaryk University?
I still follow the university’s activities, such as the Faculty of Informatics and the foundation of the Cybernetic Proving Ground with the potential of cooperation in relation to my current position. I even got involved in teaching at the Faculty of Social Studies by giving lectures on diplomacy to first-year students.
What would you recommend students who are considering a career in diplomacy?
They must set their goals, and they must be willing to do something for them. I would recommend them to sign up for the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after graduation and to seek employment within the structures of the ministry. Being an expert in a certain field or in a certain territory also helps. One must closely follow the world of diplomacy and international relations. As for students, I would like to engage student interns at my embassy. Addis Ababa is the seat of the African Union, which is an organisation with an interesting agenda. I think it is quite realistic for students of international relations specialising in African affairs to come for a two-month internship programme to find out how the embassy operates, how roles are assigned and what they could be doing in the future. Ethiopia and the African Union can be an opportunity for them.
You have previously served in Afghanistan, Latvia, Montenegro and Georgia. These are not easy missions from a political and social perspective.
No. I will admit that, while still in school, I saw myself working in Scandinavia, but when you are offered the opportunity to open a mission in Montenegro, or to fill in for the ambassador to Georgia or to be the ambassador to Afghanistan, you do not say no to these challenges.
What is the current direction of Czech foreign policy? Can you have your own opinion, or do you have to strictly follow the line?
I have to follow the line, otherwise I would not be the ambassador. Admittedly, there have been foreign ministers, some of whom I agreed with more than others. The current foreign policy of the Czech Republic is well outlined and executed. I can see it through the eyes of a third-party expert as well. I can see it is respected by other countries and diplomatic missions. And it makes our job easier. Right now we are working on the government strategy for Africa, which was adopted two years ago; it outlines our country’s priorities and is very helpful in our efforts.
What are current Czech-Ethiopian relations like?
The relations are good, and they have deep and long-term roots. Czech hydrogeologists have done much for the country by surveying its groundwater. The shared history goes way back though. Before World War II, as the Ethiopian Empire saw the risks of Italian fascism, Emperor Haile Selassie had a security adviser, Adolf Parlesák from Brno. Nearly everyone in Ethiopia now knows him, as well as a book he wrote. He is a figure who has been opening doors in Ethiopia for the Czech Republic. As an ambassador you are far away from home and always busy.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Ethiopia is a very complex country, and so my family stayed in Prague. In fact I would not want them to be here because of safety and security. When I am here, it is mostly about work but whenever I have some time off, I like sports, travelling and photography. The territories and regions of Ethiopia offer many opportunities for these hobbies.