Czech Foreign Minister defends US missile defence system in central Europe

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Swarzenberg has strongly defended the deployment of a US missile defence system in Europe, saying that a security threat from Iran could not be ruled out. "Nobody knows what may happen in the next decade, and if someone plays with fire it is good to be prepared" Mr. Scharzenberg told the DPA news agency, ahead of his scheduled visit to Germany on Friday. The Czech Foreign Minister said that he was fully aware of Germany's concerns with regard to the plan and did not take them lightly.

Prague has opened talks with Washington on the possible hosting of a radar base on its territory but no commitment has as yet been made. A Czech government delegation is to travel to Washington on Thursday to discuss the matter in greater detail. The US missile defence system, which would be located jointly in the Czech Republic and Poland, has evoked mixed reactions on the continent. Although the European Commission has said it would not interfere in Prague's decision making, some EU critics say a bilateral defence agreement between two EU members and the United States would not serve Europe's best interests.