The next rounds of negotiations between the United States and
the Czech Republic on the stationing of a US radar base on Czech
soil will be held in Prague in late January, according to
information from the Czech news agency CTK on Tuesday.
The Czech Defense Ministry is to negotiate with U.S.
representatives on January 28-30.
The Defense Ministry deals with the legal conditions of the U.S.
troops' stay, while the Foreign Ministry negotiates about the main
treaty concerning the base.
The United States initiated the plan to deploy an anti-missile
radar base in the Czech Republic and a missile interceptor base in
Poland earlier last year. Negotiations between the Czech Republic
and the United States are underway.
Poland has been negotiating with the United States about the
base, too. New polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently said that
Poland should not make the decision on the base prematurely.
He is to visit Prague on Thursday, mainly to discuss the issue
of missile defense in central Europe.
Topolanek said the Czech Republic and Poland want to avoid the
situation where they would approve the bases, but a new U.S.
administration would then reject the project.
Both Topolanek and Tusk plan to individually meet U.S. President
George Bush over the missile defense bases this winter.
According to a recent public opinion poll, 70 percent of Czech
citizens oppose the installation of the base. Parties in the
coalition government are divided on the issue, either.
Russia has also expressed strong objection to the U.S. missile
defense program in Poland and the Czech Republic.
(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2008)
