The Czech Defense Ministry is to negotiate with US representatives on January 28-30. The Defense Ministry deals with the legal conditions of the US 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 US administration would then reject the project.
Both Topolanek and Tusk plan to individually meet US President George Bush over the missile defense bases this winter. According to a recent public opinion poll, 70% of Czech citizens oppose the installation of the base. Parties in the coalition government are divided on the issue, either. Some 73% of Czechs are for a referendum to be held on the radar base, while the opposite view is held by 19%, the poll said. The Czech Communist Youth Union (KSM) has collected 150,000 signatures under a petition against the location of a US missile defense radar base on Czech soil and demanding a referendum on it, KSM chairman Milan Krajca said.
Russia has also expressed strong objection to the US missile defense program in Poland and the Czech Republic. (people.com.cn)
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