Agence France-Presse, The first round of U.S.-Czech talks on including the Czech Republic in a controversial U.S. missile shield system will take place next week in Prague, officials here said May 1.
The negotiations will take place May 10-11 in the defense ministry and will focus on preparing a bilateral accord on how long U.S. soldiers can stay in the Czech Republic, a ministry spokeswoman said.
Prague has already received the text of a bill Washington has drawn up, and the government is soon to discuss it, the official, Jana Zechmeisterova, said.
A second round of talks is scheduled for May 22 in the Czech foreign ministry, according to the CTK agency, citing that ministry’s spokeswoman.
Those negotiations will look at another accord covering the construction, maintenance, functioning and security of a targeting radar that will be the key component of the shield in the country.
A further round will be held “probably in July, in the United States,” the spokeswoman, Zuzana Opletalova, said.
Under the plan, the United States would use the radar and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland to knock out incoming missiles threatening Western Europe.
Washington says the system is primarily aimed at “rogue states” such as Iran and at extremists who might use missiles.
Russia, though, has balked at the idea, calling it a threat to global security.
President Vladimir Putin has said it would increase the risk of nuclear war and accused Washington of misrepresenting its aims. He has also announced the suspension of Moscow’s participation in the Soviet-era Conventional Forces in Europe treaty, which caps the deployment of certain military equipment.
More than two-thirds of Czechs are opposed to the installation of the targeting radar, according to a recent survey.
U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to argue for the system when he makes a visit to Prague in June.
