Prague (Czech Happenings) -- Czech President Vaclav Klaus received European Council President Herman Van Rompuy whose view on the EU he previously described as quite different from his, while neither of them met journalists to comment on their meeting at Prague Castle.

Some time ago, Klaus said he considers Van Rompuy a high-ranking EU official with whom he can hardly reach consensus on the present EU.
“I will receive this high-ranking representative of the EU in a way I have received other high officials for many years. The fact that my idea of how the EU should look like differs from his, that’s a different matter,” Klaus, a Eurosceptic, said.
He said the meeting would change nothing about his critical position on developments in the EU, nor would it solve these issues.
Before the meeting, Klaus indicated his hesitation as to how he should address Van Rompuy, whose official title is the European Council’s permanent chairman but is commonly referred to as European president.
Klaus finally did not answer this question to the media, not even while welcoming Van Rompuy at Prague Castle. Journalists could only see the two shake hands and sit down at the negotiating table.
Klaus ranked among the staunchest opponents of the Lisbon Treaty that created the post of EU president. He has also been critical of the deepening European integration.
He was the EU’s last head of state to add his signature to the Lisbon Treaty. After doing so, he stated that the treaty will cause the Czech Republic to lose its sovereignty.
Commenting on the EU’s aid to the earthquake-hit Haiti last week, Klaus criticized what he called an unclear division of roles in the EU leadership. He said, nevertheless, it is too early to assess the performance of the EU’s new leaders, the president and the foreign minister.
“I think nothing at all about the two posts,” Klaus said previously.
Van Rompuy also met Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer aslo. They discussed the EU’s economic strategy until 2020, the aid to Haiti and further steps the EU should take in combating climate change.