Czech president to meet EU leader Friday: parliament
(BRUSSELS) - Czech President Vaclav Klaus, the last EU leader holding out on signing the Lisbon treaty, will meet European Parliament chief Jerzy Buzek on Friday, the latter has announced.
The planned date marks a breakthrough after a series of failed bids, since Ireland's voters passed the reforming text in last weekend's referendum, to hold direct talks with the refusenik head of state.
Swedish premier and current European Union presidency-holder Fredrik Reinfeldt said on Wednesday he had tried and repeatedly failed to make contact with Klaus in recent days -- although Prague said Thursday that they had now spoken.
Similarly, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso admits he has not met Klaus since Prague's chaotic six-month presidency ended in June.
Poland's eurosceptic President Lech Kaczynski will sign the treaty on Sunday, his national security council chief said Thursday.
That leaves Klaus -- who refuses to fly the EU flag outside his official residence -- under pressure as the treaty's last legal obstacle.
The Lisbon treaty has to be approved by all 27 EU member states in order to come into force, possibly next year, and time is running out, with the commission's mandate due to expire at the end of the month.
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