US, Czech Republic start talks on missile shield

Negotiations have been officially launched between the United States and the Czech Republic on the possible deployment of a missile defence radar on Czech territory. The first round of talks, which started at the Czech Defence Ministry on Thursday, is focused on an agreement covering the deployment of the US missile radar in the Czech Republic. The second round, planned for May 22 at the country's Foreign Ministry, will focus on the radar's construction, maintenance, and security. The US delegation is headed by State Department special emissary Robert Loftis. The Czech delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar and head of the Defence Ministry's department for defence policy and strategy, Ivan Dvorak.

The United States announced plans in January to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a missile defence radar in the Czech Republic as part of its missile shield aimed to counter possible threats from "rogue states", such as Iran or North Korea. In early June, US President George W. Bush will arrive in Prague to discuss the issue with the Czech authorities.