Czech President Milos Zeman says his country is planning to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Zeman says the move will take place in three steps: An honorary consulate will be opened in Jerusalem next month followed by other Czech institutions before the embassy's actual transfer.

Beyond the consulate's opening, he gave no further timetable.

In a letter to Zeman, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped he would jointly open the new embassy in Jerusalem at the end of this year.

The Czech foreign ministry says the opening of the consulate and the Czech Cultural center in Jerusalem is the first step on the way of having its embassy in the capital of the host country.

But it didn't immediately confirm the transfer of the embassy.