George Bush to come to Prague in June

The Czech foreign ministry has said that George Bush will most likely visit Prague in early June. A spokeswoman for the ministry said that the US president will probably be in Prague on the fourth and fifth of June. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice confirmed the president's visit after meeting with Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg in Washington on Friday. Mr Schwarzenberg was in the US to discuss US-Czech relations as well as a proposed US radar base on Czech territory. Speaking alongside Ms Rice ahead of their meeting, Mr Schwarzenberg voiced support for the US plan, while Ms Rice said anti-missile projects were a key element of efforts to counter both terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Public opinion in the Czech Republic remains mixed over the idea of the Czechs hosting a US base and it is hoped that the American president's visit will boost support for the idea.

Before meeting with Mr Schwarzenberg, Ms Rice described the Czech Republic as a "good ally" of the US and praised the country for its participation in foreign missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. She also praised the Czech government for its stance on dictatorial regimes in Belarus, Burma and Cuba.