Roger Fingas
One of Apple CEO Tim Cook's meetings at the World Economic Forum on Thursday was with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who managed to secure a promise of an Apple store in the country's capital, Prague.
Babis suggested that the ideal place for a store would be the Ministry of Regional Development building in the city's Old Town Square. The meeting was documented by Babis on Facebook, and by local news site Letemsvetemapplem.eu.
The pair also discussed topics such as artificial intelligence and the economy. Cook noted that there are about 500 researchers in the republic working on AI.
Apple doesn't have any retail footprint in the country despite the prominence of Prague and the popularity of the country as a tourist destination. Although it was repeatedly bombed by the U.S. in 1945, Prague suffered comparatively little damage in World War II next to other European capitals, leaving much of its historic architecture intact.
The annual World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, offers corporate and political leaders a chance to talk with each other about future plans. Cook has already met people like Dubai's crown prince, the chancellor of Austria, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
A point of controversy was a group dinner including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician who has defended torture and the murderous military dictatorships of Brazil and Chile. He has also vocally attacked homosexuality, which could be a problem for Cook.
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11 Comments
There are a number of Apple-style stores in shopping malls in Prague and there are usually more employees than customers in them. As much as I hate the idea of commercialising the centre any more than it already is, a tourist-friendly spot is probably necessary. Parizska street might be a better choice and upset the locals less.
“A point of controversy was a group dinner including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician who has defended torture and the murderous military dictatorships of Brazil and Chile. He has also vocally attacked homosexuality, which could be a problem for Cook.“
Communist talking points to bash the most popular Brazilian president - is Apple Insider becoming just another red platform?
Old Town Square would a very good location, better than most.
Ahhh our 5 minutes of glory :-))) I wondered why would they met just because Apple store. AI was probably more important.