74. 26 Czechia wants to stave off the danger of economic coercion. The most efficient tool is to promote the use of FTAs and alternative arrangements for trade with credible partners as a way to diversify our trade ties and avoid import and export dependencies. To be more competitive in international markets and improve our overall economic position, we must find new sources for the secure supply of vital production inputs and new opportunities for cooperation. VI. Areas of strategic concern a. Czechia’s place in international relations 75. Czechia’s ties with allies and partners are essential to our independence, sovereignty and economic prosperity. The core task for our diplomacy is to foster an international environment conducive to the Czech Republic’s security interests. 76. A credible, confident, and effective foreign policy must be grounded in a broader political and social consensus on what our country’s main interests actually are. It must accept that we have to promote these interests over long time scales and to invest human and financial resources for this purpose. The exercise of foreign policy is the remit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government. The President of the Czech Republic and the two parliamentary chambers have an indispensable role to play. To ensure that the Czech Republic is recognized internationally as a solid and credible partner, all these actors must share the loyalty to the main values and directions of our foreign policy, and they must speak with one voice. 77. NATO and EU membership multiplies Czechia’s political and economic importance and protects us from aggressive forces in the international environment. If we are to reap the full benefits, it is all-important that the two organizations continue to stand firmly together and that we continue to have friendly and future-oriented relations with allies, including our neighbours, and efficient Central European cooperation formats. The Czech Republic supports ongoing NATO and EU enlargement processes in the interests of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic space. 78. The Czech Republic is aware of the crucial importance of security, stability, and development in countries in Europe’s neighbourhood. The key region in this regard is Eastern Europe: Czechia will support the war-torn Ukraine and assist with its renewal as a matter of priority. We will also be active in Africa and the Middle East, especially in the countries where we can build on our historic presence. Ongoing polarization of world politics is yet another reason why it is increasingly important to develop relations with the countries of these two regions. In today’s globalized world, Czechia looks for multi-layered relations with like-minded democracies in all regions, including the distant ones. We give special attention to partners in the Asia-Pacific, an emerging world trade hub that, nevertheless, suffers from the tensions caused by China’s increasingly assertive conduct. 27