US scraps missile defence plan for Czech Republic
June 15th, 2011 - 9:03 pm ICT by IANS
Warsaw, June 15 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The US has abandoned plans to deploy a missile early warning centre as part of a European missile defence system in the Czech Republic, a media report said Wednesday.
“The Czech Republic will look for other options to participate in the project,” Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra was quoted as saying by CTK news agency after his meeting with US Deputy Defence Secretary William Linn.
The centre was to replace a radar facility planned by the former US administration under president George Bush.
The Barack Obama administration scrapped the plan in 2009 and opted for a missile early warning centre instead.
Vondra said last week that Prague did not want a mere “consolation prize” from the US to make up for the scrapping of the original plans.
Russia is opposed to the US plans to deploy missile defence systems near its borders, claiming they would be a security threat. The US is reluctant to provide legally binding guarantees that the system will not be directed against Russia.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
snb/dg
- 'Russia has no business in NATO missile defence' - May 23, 2012
- US may disclose missile defence data to Russia - Mar 12, 2012
- Pilot becomes ill during flight, dies on landing - Feb 16, 2012
- Russia will counter US missile defence: Medvedev - Feb 22, 2012
- Czech Republic may sell combat jets to Iraq - Apr 19, 2011
- Russia to target European missile shield if talks fail - Nov 23, 2011
- Medvedev to discuss missile issues with US - Jun 11, 2010
- Russia unveils anti-missile radar in Kaliningrad - Nov 29, 2011
- US vows to go ahead with missile shield - May 11, 2012
- Russia-NATO missile shield talks stalled ahead of 2012 summit - Oct 31, 2011
- Russia turns on new missile warning radar - May 23, 2012
- US, Russia to continue missile defence talks - Aug 09, 2011
- US not cooperating with Russia on missile defence: Minister - Sep 04, 2011
- Czech ex-president Havel to be buried Friday - Dec 19, 2011
- Russia to launch 100 military satellites - Feb 23, 2012
Tags: alexandr vondra, barack obama, consolation prize, czech republic, defence minister, defence secretary, defence systems, dg, early warning, george bush, missile defence plan, missile defence system, president george bush, radar facility, ria novosti, secretary william, security threat, snb, warning centre, warsaw