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Klaus meets top U.S. leaders

But no breakthroughs on issues of visas or radar base during visit

By Hilda Hoy
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
March 14th, 2007 issue

President Václav Klaus’ recent trip to the United States was marked by plenty of discussions with top politicians but no commitments on the key issues affecting Czech-U.S. relations.

At the top of his agenda during the March 4–10 visit were the U.S. request to station part of its missile defense system on Czech soil and U.S. visa policy. Though U.S. citizens can freely visit the Czech Republic, Czechs need visas to travel to the States.
The U.S. government officially requested Jan. 19 to build a radar base in central Bohemia as part of its missile-defense system. A site in Poland would host a corresponding missile base.
Though Klaus’ various meetings paid plenty of lip service to these issues, it will be some time before either is resolved, said his spokesman Petr Hájek.
“These are issues that were started probably two years ago … and they will be in process probably another two,” Hájek said.
“It is our discussion here in the Czech Republic whether there will be a referendum on the radar base. [But] the visas are in American hands.”
On March 8, Klaus met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California). He told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) that Pelosi was sympathetic to the Czech visa situation and would support having that requirement lifted. The U.S. Senate began debating the issue late last year.
A spokeswoman for Pelosi’s office would not discuss details of that meeting but described it as a “courtesy call.”
The next day, Klaus met separately with Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
According to a White House statement, Cheney “commended the Czech Republic’s continuing contributions to global security.” Cooperation on missile defense would strengthen U.S.-Czech ties, the statement said.
During the 45-minute meeting between Klaus and Gates, missile defense was again the top subject, said Department of Defense spokesman Commander Joe Carpenter.
No commitments were made, however.
“We endeavor to maintain a healthy dialogue … and transparency in our missile-defense discussions, not only with [the Czechs] but with the Russians as well,” Carpenter said.
Klaus did not meet with President George W. Bush during his visit. Bush left the United States March 8 for Latin America.

Hilda Hoy can be reached at hhoy@praguepost.com


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