Czech Republic worries about its access to the sea in Hamburg

Berlin - The Czech Republic fears a deterioration of access to its part of the Hamburg port due to the planned construction of Olympic sports facilities nearby. This was reported today by the German newspaper portal Die Welt.
    The Czech Republic has been using the so-called Vltava Port (Moldauhafen) in Hamburg since 1929, which is part of the maritime port area. Based on the Treaty of Versailles, the Vltava Port was leased to Czechoslovakia in 1929 for 99 years, until 2028. Since 1993, an area of 30,000 square meters has been managed by the Czech Republic.
    As a landlocked country, the Czech Republic is now worried about its access to the sea, writes Die Welt. The reason is the planned reconstruction of the port for the purpose of building the Olympic Village, stadium, and other sports facilities.
    The Czech embassy told the German daily that "any restriction of access to the port is unacceptable." Prague also complains that it was not informed about the plans. "Neither the Embassy of the Czech Republic, nor the Ministry of Transport, nor the Directorate of Waterways of the Czech Republic were approached by the German side on this issue," the Czech embassy stated in a response to Die Welt.
    In 2014, the Czech Directorate of Waterways inquired with the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) whether the plans for the Olympic Games would affect the land used by the Czech Republic. "We received an official response that the area for the Olympic Games does not concern the Czech port territory and its use will not be restricted," said the trade attaché at the Czech Embassy in Berlin, Tomáš Ehler, to Welt.
   "However, recent published illustrations suggest that this may not be the case," Ehler pointed out. According to the proposals, access to the Vltava Port would be limited or completely obstructed by several bridges. "Therefore, we requested clarification from the HPA in March this year. We have not yet received any response," Ehler added.
    The Czech port in Hamburg is currently not in use, but the Czech Ministry of Transport has approved a program for its revitalization. Its implementation is set to begin in the summer, writes Die Welt.
    Germany plans to seek the right to host the Olympic Games in Hamburg in 2024.

Hamburg - Vltava Port / Moldauhafen

Hamburg - Vltava Port / Moldauhafen, planned construction; source: state-union.us