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Former NATO general Petr Pavel wins C zech presidential vote
PRAguE afP/aPP
Retired NATO general Petr Pavel beat a billionaire former prime minister in an election run-off on Saturday to become the fourth president of the Czech Republic final results showed Pavel, a former paratrooper, won 58 3 percent of votes while Andrej Babis scored 41 7 percent said the Czech Statistical Office "I would like to thank those who voted for me and also those who did not but came to the polls because they made it clear they honoured democracy and cared about this country," Pavel said after the results showed his victory
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"I can see that values such as truth dignity respect and humility have prevailed in this election," he added
The 61-year-old Pavel will in March replace President Milos Zeman an outspoken and divisive politician who fostered close ties with Moscow before making a U-turn when Russia invaded Ukraine last year
Turnout in the EU and NATO member country of 10 5 million people was unusually high, topping 70 percent following an acrimonious campaign marked by controversy Babis and his family have been targeted by death threats, while Pavel was the victim of a hoax claiming he was dead as disinformation plagued the final campaign "Our community is somewhat hurt by the presidential campaign, by the multiple crises we soft image of Pakistan at international level
The PM aide expressed the commitment to promote Pakistan’s tourism sector at all levels, saying that the development of this sector will help in achieving economic development by generating more foreign exchange
He said that efforts are being made to promote and showcase Pakistan’s rich tourism heritage at all international forums with the active participation of stakeholders
He also appreciated the cooperation of the mission of Pakistan in New York and the efforts of public and private sector tourism organizations for promoting the soft image of Pakistan through arranging such events have faced and are facing but also by the political style that has recently prevailed here," said Pavel
"This has to change, and you have helped me to take the first step on the path towards this change "
Babis, who served as Czech prime minister from 2017-2021, congratulated Pavel after the vote and admitted defeat "I would like to wish him to be the president of all citizens of the Czech Republic, to be sensitive to their problems and fight for the interests of the Czech Republic " he added
While the role is largely ceremonial, the Czech president names the government, picks the central bank governor and constitutional judges and serves as commander of the armed forces ' n O b e t t e R A lt e R n At i v e ': German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was looking forward to "deepening the close cooperation" between the two neighbours "I am impatiently awaiting a personal meeting and wish you a lot of strength and success," he added Pavel will be the fourth Czech president since the country s independence following its peaceful split with Slovakia in 1993, four years after former Czechoslovakia shed four decades of totalitarian communist rule
His predecessors were Vaclav Havel, an anticommunist dissident playwright who led the country from 1993-2003, economist Vaclav Klaus (2003-2013) and Zeman Slovak President Zuzana Caputova even travelled to Prague to congratulate Pavel in person,
Speaking at the occasion, PTDC Managing Director Rana Aftar Rehman also briefed about the plans and activities of PTDC to get maximum benefits from the event PTDC along with six provincial and regional tourism departments, 20 private tour operators, and hospitality companies will take part in the show and highlight the country’s rich tourism potential for the world
The provincial departments taking part in the event include Sindh Tourism Development Corporation (STDC), Tourism Development Cooperation of Punjab (TDCP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cultural and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), Culture and Tourism Department Gilgit-Baltistan saying she was happy that "in our region and in Europe there is a new head of state who honours democratic values" A graduate of a military university, Pavel was decorated as a hero in the Serbo-Croatian war when he helped free French troops from a war zone
He rose to chief of the Czech general staff and chair of NATO's military committee
Like Babis, Pavel was a member of the Communist Party in the 1980s
But the man with a carefully trimmed beard and white hair, who has a passion for powerful motorbikes, has since become a strong advocate of EU and NATO membership
"We have no better alternative We should use all opportunities offered by membership and try to change that which we don't like " he said on his campaign website Pavel has vowed to be an independent president unaffected by party politics and to continue to support aid to war-torn Ukraine as well as its bid to become an EU member "Naturally, Ukraine first has to meet all conditions to become a member, such as progress in battling corruption But I believe it is entitled to get the same chance we got in the past," he said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet she welcomed Pavel s "strong commitment to our European values"
"Your experience in security, defence and foreign relations will be precious to maintain and strengthen Europe s unity in support of Ukraine," she added
(CTDGB) and Tourism Department of Balochistan The Pakistani delegation will also participate in other sideline meetings to promote Pakistan as a tourist destination in the North American market
“The event is a great opportunity to showcase the great potential of Pakistan s tourism industry and create linkages with the leading international players of the tourism industry which will greatly help attract more tourists The event will also help enhance the inflow of foreign tourists to discover the rich tourism potential of Pakistan which will contribute to the socio-economic development of the country
Travel and Adventure Show provides a great opportunity to interact with the top international and domestic travel destinations, tour operators, cruise lines and travel providers
With more than 110 events and over 18 years running, the Travel and Adventure Show series has been the go-to place for over 2 5 million travellers and over 4 500 of the world’s top destinations, tour operators, cruise lines and travel providers from around the globe Pakistan has great potential to attract a h u g e n u m b e r o f f o r e i g n t o u r i s t s a n d e x p a t r i a t e P a k i s t a n i s t o e x p l o r e a n d witness the country’s culture, ecotourism and Sikh heritage