After serving as the Czech Republic's ambassador to Sweden and Ireland, Petr Kolář, 43, finds himself in what is arguably any country's most important diplomatic post: ambassador to the United States.

But after a month and a half in Washington, Kolář — who, before becoming a diplomat, worked in the Foreign Affairs Ministry — finds his work is only now just getting off the ground; the holiday season got things off to a slow start, he says.

Kolář says his post has never been more important.

During a telephone interview from Washington on a recent morning, Kolář, who is married with two sons, talked to The Prague Post about U.S.–European Union relations, visa policy, secret CIA prisons and bringing foreign businesses to the Czech Republic.

The Prague Post: What specific challenges does a posting like this bring with it compared to your stints in Sweden and Ireland?

Petr Kolář: You can use previous experiences if you talk about the normal routine of being a diplomat. But this is so different if you talk about the political importance of this post, and I take it very seriously. It's not only a challenge for me, but a great responsibility that I have on my shoulders. The task of the day and of the nearest future is the trans-Atlantic alliance, and I really feel it is of essential importance to help enhance the cooperation between the United States and the European Union. This administration is doing its best and trying its best to deepen this relationship. They are very interested to know what the views are of their European allies, and I think I really came at a fantastic time.

TPP: Is it difficult, as a European, to work closely with an administration that, though it may have strong ties with some European governments, is not very popular among European people? Is it tough to reconcile that?

PK: I'm not a psychologist or someone who is able to gauge the mood of the European people about this administration. I know that there are some cliches and some stereotypes on both sides of the Atlantic; there are some perceptions not based on reality, but it is the job of us who take this trans-Atlantic cooperation seriously to address those possible concerns and fears and work with reality.

TPP: How, overall, is the Czech Republic viewed in the United States?

PK: Some ordinary people have knowledge about us, but there are other people who have never heard of the Czech Republic or even Czechoslovakia. This is one of the tasks that I have: to promote our country, to explain why we are very well-qualified for this, for example, this visa-waiver program. What I think is important to improving people-to-people contact is to help Americans know something about us, and that means a lot of traveling and a lot of networking, articles, speeches, lectures, cooperation with media. This is the daily job.

TPP: You mention the visa-waiver program. The EU is getting ready to put increased pressure on the U.S. to waive visa requirements for all of its member states. As you know, Americans can travel freely in the Czech Republic, but Czechs cannot travel without a visa to the U.S. How likely is it that the U.S. will end this requirement?

PK: I think this can be reached, but it's not the question of the day. There are some legal procedures which must be done and we have to respect the federal law in the United States. This is in the hands of Congress. But we have powerful allies in the United State who realize that the Czech Republic — as a committed ally in NATO, as a full member of the European Union, as a country which shares the same values as the United States — should be somehow included in this visa-waiver program. I believe this is reachable, but I have to ask for patience.

TPP: The issue of secret CIA prisons in Central and Eastern Europe, maybe even in the Czech Republic, has gotten a lot of media attention recently. Are you fielding a lot of questions about this? Is this something that you feel like you need to respond to?

PK: I have to really emphasize that from my personal point of view, I have no doubt that our allies and partners here in the United States are taking this issue seriously. I don't know why [Czechs] sharing the same values as the United States should be suspicious and think that the United States is really breaking international law and torturing people. But they are — and, actually, we are — at war, and of course there are some special circumstances linked to that.

TPP: Which would include torture?

PK: We should always keep law. I believe that if there is something that must be done because of the security of citizens of a democracy, then the United States, their intelligence community, is doing it in harmony with the law. I have no doubt about it.

TPP: What other things will you be making a part of your agenda in Washington?