15.06.2018
Traineeship opportunity at Petr Ježek’s Brussels office
09.01.2018
Goodbye to tax havens? Interview for France 24
12.12.2017
Traineeship opportunity at Petr Ježek’s Brussels office
Calendar
Gallery
Petr Ježek
Born in Prague in 1965. A graduate of Prague’s University of Economics, Petr Ježek joined his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as a diplomat. For some ten years, he held relatively high posts related to the country’s ties with the EU, e.g. heading the Foreign Ministry’s European Integration Department and serving as Deputy State Secretary for European Affairs. He also worked as chief of staff of then Czech Prime Minister Vladimír Špidla. In 2014, Petr Ježek was elected Member of the European Parliament on the ballot of the ANO 2011 party.
Contacts
On May 4, 2017, the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Japan presided by Petr Ježek held a meeting jointly with the Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula (DKOR) and with H.E. Mr. Katsunobu Kato, Japan's Minister in charge of the Abduction Issue and representatives of Japanese abductees' families.
The meeting aimed to point out the importance of the issue of human rights violations in the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea, including abduction issue and to further strengthen the partnership between the EU and Japan.
During the 1970s and 1980s North Korea abducted many Japanese citizens from Japan and other parts of world. These abductions were part of North Korea´s state policy with the aim to steal their identity and documents for North Korean secret agents. The abductees were also used to train the North Korean agents the Japanese language and traditions so they could easier infiltrate the Japanese society.
Japan has so far identified 17 abducted Japanese citizens. In 2002, the North Korea admitted for the first time those abductions and returned 5 abductees back to Japan. The remaining 12 abductees were proclaimed dead by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The Japanese government still considers the remaining abductees alive as it has never been presented with reliable proofs of their deaths.
Watch the recording of the press conference of Mr. Ježek and Mr. Kato held after the meeting here: