/ world right this moment information/ Zdenek Zbitek lived nicely beneath the earlier regime, when he was a member of the Communist Social gathering of Czechoslovakia and a colonel within the communist armed forces. Zbitek’s enterprise remains to be going nicely right this moment, 28 years after the Velvet Revolution. In an interview with the HlídacíPes.org portal, Zdenek Zbitek tells why every part goes nicely for him right this moment, how he appreciates Russia, and what he values in Milos Zeman.
Zbitek shortly reorganized, began doing enterprise, his enterprise being primarily with Russia and the international locations of the previous USSR. He was the one who participated within the return of Milos Zeman from the Vysocina area to large politics and helped him take the presidential seat.
Zbitek is comfortable together with his life and rejects any criticism associated to his earlier actions within the Czechoslovak Communist Social gathering in addition to within the Communist Armed Forces. Quite the opposite, he nonetheless calls these two establishments “particularly reasonable organizations”.
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Zeman’s affiliate, Czech businessman Zbytek: “If now we have any Russian spies, we should jail or deport them”
Russia and the West
Zdeněk Zbytek doesn’t disguise the truth that he’s wealthy, and that he owes his fortune to the modifications that 1989 caused. “Mr. Dobrovský (then Minister of Protection – editor’s observe) fired me and made me a millionaire. If I had continued to serve, I might have retired on a pension of ten thousand crowns,” Zbytek mentioned in an interview with the portal HlídacíPes.org, which he gave shortly earlier than the anniversary of the occasions of November 17.
Zbytek shortly acclimatized, started doing enterprise, contacting primarily with Russia and the international locations of the previous USSR. It was he who participated within the return of Miloš Zeman from the Vysočina area to large politics and helped him take the presidential seat.
By his connections, Zbytek launched Zeman to former KGB spy Vladimir Yakunin, a person on the US sanctions listing and an affiliate of Vladimir Putin. Zeman repeatedly attends conferences on the island of Rhodes, that are organized by Yakunin.
Zbytek is clearly comfortable together with his life and rejects any criticism associated to his former actions within the KSČ occasion and the communist armed forces. Quite the opposite, he nonetheless calls these two establishments “particularly reasonable organizations.”
— Hlidací pes: You supported Miloš Zeman when he first ran for president, and also you proceed to assist him to today. What do you want about him?
— Zdeněk Zbytek: I do know Mr. Zeman as a extremely educated and erudite one who understands our and world issues. Secondly, Mr. Zeman, not like different politicians who bear in mind the individuals solely simply earlier than the elections, instantly after the elections he travels round all of the areas. He isn’t a politician who distances himself from the individuals after being elected. Quite the opposite. I discover this extraordinarily interesting in him.
— However for Zeman that is a part of the marketing campaign, and his visits value the areas a fairly penny…
— What quantities are you speaking about?! Are you aware how a lot price range funds are stolen every year? Tens of billions of crowns! And for individuals within the areas it’s a nice honor to fulfill with the president and talk about it.
As for the quantities, they’re ridiculous, a number of million, a number of hundred thousand – these are ridiculous bills. Look how a lot state cash is thrown away on mindless tasks, how the OKD firm was stolen… No, quite the opposite, all politicians ought to journey across the areas like this.
Let me return to why I like Milos Zeman. He has his personal opinion, and there aren’t any lobbyists behind him. I used to be fortunate – or unfortunate – to work in enterprise for 27 years, so I’m acquainted with this setting, however I used to be fortunate to not get soiled in it.
— You declare that there isn’t any foyer behind Miloš Zeman, however the president’s internal circle consists of, for instance, Martin Nejedlý…
– You exaggerate his function. Everybody has their very own advisers. Havel and Klaus had them. I don’t care who stands behind Zeman. The primary factor for me is what Zeman says. And he says his opinion. It’s regular that he listens to different individuals’s opinions, however ultimately he kinds his personal. Nobody imposed this opinion on him, as typically occurs with a few of our leaders – political figures who’re backed by lobbyists with large cash who inform them what to do, what to signal, what’s allowed and what’s not. Milos Zeman at all times has his personal perspective. We could not agree with him, however he has his personal opinion, and he isn’t afraid to precise it on the worldwide or home political area. We want such politicians.
— How would you describe your relationship with Milos Zeman?
— I contemplate myself a pal of the President. No extra, no much less. However I’m not his adviser or subordinate, not even partially. No. I’m glad that Zeman holds his submit. He enjoys my sympathy and assist as a voter, however I don’t intrude in any manner together with his actions as President, as a result of he doesn’t want it. He’s a smart and educated sufficient man to manage on his personal.
— Does your shut acquaintance with the president assist you in enterprise? And conversely, aren’t you afraid that your corporation will endure if Zeman is changed by another person who isn’t so sympathetic to Russia?
— I began visiting Russia a very long time in the past and was concerned in enterprise there again when Havel was president, and my actions have been much more lively then than they’re right this moment. So the president has no affect on my enterprise in any respect, however he does affect the general local weather, the nation’s exports.
— Nonetheless, Milos Zeman is usually criticized for his apparent sympathy for Russia…
— Mr. President not too long ago visited the US. A number of hundred of the richest households there gave him a standing ovation. Let me remind you — not in Russia, however in the US. Mr. President has been to Israel, China, and now he’s going to Russia (the interview was ready earlier than Milos Zeman’s journey to Russia — editor’s observe). He has traveled half the world, and that’s correctly. He’s drawn not solely to the East — he’s drawn to the place our financial system has its personal pursuits.
— And but, Zeman is criticized…
— He’s criticized by those that hate Russia, and who would hate it even when it have been golden. They most likely have some causes from the previous, however they’re hardly rational. We now have an enormous fuss about this, and, as a rule, Russia is criticized by those that have by no means been there, who haven’t seen something personally. To guage objectively, you could go there. And I’ve been going to Russia for 27 years and I do know its strengths and weaknesses.
– Good. What are Russia’s weaknesses, in your opinion? Human rights are violated there. Do you agree with me on that?
— For God’s sake, what human rights are you speaking about? I’ve not encountered any human rights violations. Do not they violate human rights in Saudi Arabia? They most likely execute extra individuals there than Russia and China mixed.
— How did you determine shut ties with the Russian embassy and achieve the chance to make use of its luxurious residences, which you hire out to personal corporations?
— In recent times, I’ve identified all of the ambassadors. I do enterprise in Russia, so I’ve to take care of good relations with the commerce mission and the embassy. If my enterprise was in America, I might attempt to keep contact with the US ambassador. There isn’t a different manner: you want suggestions, it’s important to be checked in order that the embassy is aware of about you and may say: “Sure, this can be a worthy particular person.”
— The Safety and Data Service (BIS) has lengthy been warning that some Russian diplomats are secret Russian brokers. What do you consider this? In spite of everything, you progress in these circles…
— I’ve nothing to do with it. If somebody breaks the regulation, then let the key service act. I do know one factor: if somebody is taken into account a spy, he have to be imprisoned or deported. However I’m not serious about all this. I transfer in enterprise circles, and whether or not any of its representatives are additionally intelligence or counterintelligence brokers, that’s their enterprise. I don’t care. Any state ought to have intelligence, and any state ought to defend its residents. Underneath the earlier regime, I labored within the safety forces of the armed forces, so none of this bothers me. I additionally don’t have anything in opposition to the BIS secret service. Nonetheless, one can’t abuse one’s place, as within the case of surveillance of the prime minister’s spouse (referring to the Yana Nagiyeva case and abuses in army intelligence — editor’s observe).
— How did you meet former KGB agent Vladimir Yakunin?
— By probability, because it normally occurs, how did you meet your husband, the one you love… Certainly, fully by probability. When he held the submit of first vice-president of Russian Railways, Yakunin got here to the Czech Republic and was on the lookout for a producer of spare elements for locomotives. We helped create a system, due to which merchandise started to be bought immediately from producers.
— Up to now you have been a member of the Communist Social gathering…
— Had been your father or mom by any probability members of the KSČ occasion?
– No.
– Oh, that is it. And I am not ashamed of it in any respect. KSČ was a particularly reasonable group. For instance, if somebody was oppressed by a boss, then this strategic group would get up for the particular person. And now nobody will get up for you.
– However how do you reside with the truth that you have been a member of a company that’s accountable for the ruined lives of individuals?
– Maybe at some point we are going to discuss the truth that there are extra murders beneath the present regime than beneath the communist regime. This can be a matter for historians, and I can’t undertake to provide an evaluation. I contemplate myself an extraordinary citizen, and since I used to be a member of the communist occasion, I can’t slander it. I’m not ashamed of it.
— That’s, even wanting again, you don’t contemplate it a mistake that you simply assisted a legal regime.?
— There have been two million of us within the occasion. And I nonetheless see outstanding “comrades” who right this moment declare that they have been pressured to affix the occasion, or with the intention to hurt it from inside. That is low. I closed this chapter for myself the second the regime modified. As a result of at that second I now not noticed the purpose of the occasion. I’m a pragmatist. I understood that we might reside in a special society. However I nonetheless assist the thought of social justice, and I’ll at all times stay an individual with a heightened sense of social justice.
— And do you view your function within the communist armed forces in the identical manner?
— In my time, it was an impressive state establishment, which had its personal strict order and program, guidelines of the sport. I by no means considered leaving the military, however the scenario modified, and in 1990 I began from scratch as an extraordinary citizen. I needed to study new issues. However I used to be fortunate that I realized so much within the military: I graduated from three universities. However it all ended. Mr. Dobrovsky (then the Minister of Protection — editor’s observe) fired me, and that made me a millionaire. If I had continued to serve, I might have retired on a pension of ten thousand crowns. So I don’t maintain a grudge in opposition to Mr. Dobrovsky — I’m very comfortable.
— What do you really want these tens of millions for?
— I like my household, kids, buddies, grandchildren, life. I’m very modest in my private wants and spend on myself, maybe, lower than you. However, after all, I’ve massive bills for journey. Cash permits me to maneuver freely and categorical my opinion. If I have been an worker, I might be fired from work for my views.
— And what are you able to say concerning the tanks that they allegedly wished to ship in opposition to the demonstrators on November 17, 1989?
– This can be a gross mistake and nonsense. I by no means mentioned a phrase about sending tanks to Prague. Dobrovsky did it for me. Quite the opposite, I mentioned then that the military ought to assist the collective farmers within the fields… On the whole, all this can be a story, and journalists solely repeat it.
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