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Poland shapes defense accord

'Harmonized agenda' between Poles and Czechs is essential

By Markéta Hulpachová
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
February 6th, 2008 issue

The diplomatic negotiations around the planned U.S. missile-defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic may have reached a new level, with the United States and Poland coming to an “agreement in principle” on the countries’ missile-defense strategy Feb. 1. The progress was made during a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski in Washington, D.C.
Poland agreed to the installation of U.S. missile interceptors on its territory after Washington agreed to bloster the country’s air defenses.
“I think there is a very good case for the proposal that Poland and the United States and, indeed, the Czech Republic, go forward to put together an architecture for missile defenses,” Rice said in a U.S. State Department statement.
While calling the verbal agreement a step forward in the countries’ relations, Sikorski emphasized that the negotiations were still ongoing and that a final decision would only be reached after Polish President Donald Tusk’s planned visit to Washington in March, a time frame in keeping with the Czech government’s plans to reach its own agreement with the United States by early spring.
“It’s important for us to reach an agreement that benefits us as much as possible,” said Czech government radar spokesman Tomáš Klvaňa.
Although he declined to disclose details of these negotiations or comment on Poland’s diplomatic strategy, Klvaňa stressed that a harmonized agenda between Poland and the Czech Republic is essential for the missile-defense shield’s successful implementation.
“Of course, the [missile interceptors] in Poland would not work without a radar base[here], so we’re keeping a close watch on the dealings of our friends in Poland, but we cannot comment on their actions,” he said.
The Feb. 1 meeting between Poland and the United States roused an angry response from Russia, which maintains the missile shield is directed against it — a claim repeatedly dismissed by the United States.
Konstantin Kosachyov, head of the international affairs committee of Russia’s lower house, told Reuters Feb. 4. that if Poland and the Czech Republic agree to the United States’ requests, they’ll be at risk, “because the relevant U.S. systems will become a subject of control, and possibly, in the worst case, a target for Russian defense systems.”

Markéta Hulpachová can be reached at mhulpachova@praguepost.com


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