New round of negotiations on radar to begin

Czech and US negotiators will open a fifth round of negotiations in Prague on Monday on a possible tracking radar in the country as part of the United States’ missile defence shield. US officials revealed the news in Prague on Friday. The first days of talks will focus on a general legal agreement before negotiations switch to a separate deal covering ballistic missile defence and the radar's operation. This week the US showed increased interest in sealing a deal quickly; but Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has stressed that getting a quality agreement took priority over speed. Washington wants its anti-missile shield in place and operational by 2012 in order to counter threats by so-called rogue states.