PRAGUE (Sputnik) — Stech made the statement at an agricultural trade fair in the town of Ceske Budejovice, adding that that sanctions against Russia have a negative impact on Czech agriculture and industry, according to Ceske Noviny newspaper.
Earlier in the day, Czech President Milos Zeman urged Czech statesmen to voice publicly their discontent with EU sanctions against Russia.
Ties between Russia and the European Union suffered a severe blow after Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 and the West accused Moscow of meddling in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, imposing political and economical sanctions on Russia. The Kremlin has repeatedly refuted the accusations and introduced counter measures on a list of EU products.
Several EU member states, including the Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, have expressed skepticism over the efficiency of restrictive measures against Russia.