<p>Czech president elect Petr Pavel talked to Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyyy on Sunday, a day after winning the election, and is planning a call with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, his team said.</p>.<p>Pavel, a retired general who served as the head of NATO's military committee in 2015-2018, beat populist billionaire Andrej Babis in the presidential run-off.</p>.<p>He will take oath on March 9 and replace divisive incumbent Milos Zeman, who has promoted friendly ties with China and Russia until Moscow invaded Ukraine last February.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/zelenskyy-appearance-at-italy-song-fest-criticized-1185237.html" target="_blank">Zelenskyy appearance at Italy song fest criticized</a></strong><br /> </p>.<p>Analysts told<em> AFP</em> Pavel's approach would be very different from Zeman's with a strong pro-Western drive and focus on ties with the EU and NATO.</p>.<p>Pavel, a staunch supporter of war-torn Ukraine and of its bid to join the EU, talked to Zelenskyy by telephone on Sunday.</p>.<p>"I personally congratulated Petr Pavel on winning the Czech presidential elections," Zelenskyy tweeted.</p>.<p>"Thanked him and the Czech people for their unwavering support. Invited him to visit Ukraine," he added.</p>.<p>Pavel said in a TV debate before the vote his first foreign visit would be to neighbouring Slovakia, as is the custom, followed by Ukraine.</p>.<p>The Czech Republic and Slovakia formed a single country, Czechoslovakia, until their peaceful split in 1993.</p>.<p>Pavel would like to visit Kyiv in the spring together with Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, who had come to Prague on Saturday to congratulate him on the election victory.</p>.<p>Among congratulations from leaders including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, France's Emmanuel Macron and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, Pavel also received a letter from Tsai.</p>.<p>"A phone call (with Tsai) is scheduled for Monday," Pavel's spokeswoman Marketa Rehakova told AFP.</p>.<p>In an interview with the public Czech Radio, Pavel said he would support his country's links with Taiwan, a major investor in the Czech Republic.</p>.<p>China is trying to keep Taipei isolated on the world stage and prevents any sign of international legitimacy for the island.</p>.<p>Prague officially pursues the one-China policy, just like the EU, but Czech officials foster close ties with the island.</p>.<p>Pavel said the one-China policy should be supplemented with a "two-system" principle.</p>.<p>"There is nothing wrong if we have specific relations with Taiwan, which is the other system," Pavel said.</p>.<p>"It is definitely in our interest to retain active business and maybe also scientific relations with Taiwan," he added.</p>
<p>Czech president elect Petr Pavel talked to Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyyy on Sunday, a day after winning the election, and is planning a call with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, his team said.</p>.<p>Pavel, a retired general who served as the head of NATO's military committee in 2015-2018, beat populist billionaire Andrej Babis in the presidential run-off.</p>.<p>He will take oath on March 9 and replace divisive incumbent Milos Zeman, who has promoted friendly ties with China and Russia until Moscow invaded Ukraine last February.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/zelenskyy-appearance-at-italy-song-fest-criticized-1185237.html" target="_blank">Zelenskyy appearance at Italy song fest criticized</a></strong><br /> </p>.<p>Analysts told<em> AFP</em> Pavel's approach would be very different from Zeman's with a strong pro-Western drive and focus on ties with the EU and NATO.</p>.<p>Pavel, a staunch supporter of war-torn Ukraine and of its bid to join the EU, talked to Zelenskyy by telephone on Sunday.</p>.<p>"I personally congratulated Petr Pavel on winning the Czech presidential elections," Zelenskyy tweeted.</p>.<p>"Thanked him and the Czech people for their unwavering support. Invited him to visit Ukraine," he added.</p>.<p>Pavel said in a TV debate before the vote his first foreign visit would be to neighbouring Slovakia, as is the custom, followed by Ukraine.</p>.<p>The Czech Republic and Slovakia formed a single country, Czechoslovakia, until their peaceful split in 1993.</p>.<p>Pavel would like to visit Kyiv in the spring together with Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, who had come to Prague on Saturday to congratulate him on the election victory.</p>.<p>Among congratulations from leaders including German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, France's Emmanuel Macron and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, Pavel also received a letter from Tsai.</p>.<p>"A phone call (with Tsai) is scheduled for Monday," Pavel's spokeswoman Marketa Rehakova told AFP.</p>.<p>In an interview with the public Czech Radio, Pavel said he would support his country's links with Taiwan, a major investor in the Czech Republic.</p>.<p>China is trying to keep Taipei isolated on the world stage and prevents any sign of international legitimacy for the island.</p>.<p>Prague officially pursues the one-China policy, just like the EU, but Czech officials foster close ties with the island.</p>.<p>Pavel said the one-China policy should be supplemented with a "two-system" principle.</p>.<p>"There is nothing wrong if we have specific relations with Taiwan, which is the other system," Pavel said.</p>.<p>"It is definitely in our interest to retain active business and maybe also scientific relations with Taiwan," he added.</p>