Czech premier calls Sudeten German congress in Czechia 'provocation'

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has voiced opposition to plans for a meeting of the Sudeten German Assembly in Brno later this month, describing the initiative as "a provocation," local media reported Wednesday.

According to news portal Denik N, Babis said hosting a congress of the Sudeten German organization anywhere in the Czech Republic would be a "bad idea," adding that many people in the country view it as "provocative."

The prime minister previously declined to comment on the issue following discussions with the Bavarian premier several months ago.

Sudeten Germans were German-speaking communities who historically lived in the Sudetenland, a border region of present-day Czechia, particularly in areas bordering Germany and Austria. They were expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War II.

The dispute between the Sudeten Germans and the Czech Republic is mainly over minority rights and national belonging in the Sudetenland.