"One of my closest colleagues, Jaroslav Kurfürst, will represent Czech diplomacy in Paris, an experienced career diplomat, Juraj Chmiel, will go to Kuwait and Tomáš Hart, who has had a successful career in economic diplomacy, will lead the embassy in Mexico. I wish all three of them every success in their new positions," said Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský.

Jaroslav Kurfürst has been working at the Czech Foreign Ministry since 1997. He worked at embassies in Moscow and Washington, led departments dealing with security policy and was ambassador to Belgium from 2014-2019. For the last two years, he has led the European section of the MFA. Jaroslav Kurfürst has also worked in academia and is the author of several academic publications.

Juraj Chmiel joined the diplomatic service in 1992, served in the UNOSOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia in 1993-1994 and subsequently served as Ambassador to Nigeria, Australia, Hungary and Slovenia.

Tomáš Hart will take up his first ambassadorial post in Mexico, having worked in diplomacy since 2000. During his career to date, he has led the economic sections of embassies in Washington, Moscow and Buenos Aires, and has also served at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union in Brussels.

All of these heads of embassies already have the approval of the receiving country, the agrément. Juraj Chmiel should be the first to take up his post in mid-July, Tomáš Hart will leave for Mexico in early September and Jaroslav Kurfürst will take up his post as Ambassador to France in the second half of September 2024.