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Czech Republic Expects Role in U.S. Missile Defense
Czech officials believe the United States plans to ask their country to host elements of the U.S. missile defense system, Radio Prague reported yesterday (see GSN, July 26). “The Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic believes that the likelihood that we will be asked by the U.S. government about the possibility of placement of the missile defense base on Czech territory is pretty high,” Richard Krpac, a spokesman for the Czech Foreign Ministry, said Sunday. “According to our knowledge there are now only two countries being examined by the group of experts from the Pentagon: the Czech Republic and Poland,” Krpac said. Hungary no longer appears to be under consideration, according to Radio Prague. “What is certain is that the Pentagon is trying to find a location to place radar and several — approximately 10 — antimissile rockets,” Krpac said. “It is possible that there will be radar placed in one country and missiles placed in the other country, or it could also be decided that both components of the system will be placed in one country,” he added (Radio Prague, Aug. 7). A Polish official responded that a decision on the U.S. base was still pending, Gazeta Wyborcza reported. Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said U.S. officials plan to make Poland an offer in September, leading to more detailed negotiations should it accept. Initial talks between Washington and Warsaw have reportedly already taken place, according to the Gazeta (Gazeta Wyborcza, Aug. 7).
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