Biden trip to stress Central Europe's importance for USA-official

vydáno: 08.10.2009, 08:47 | aktualizace: 08.10.2009 08:55

Crowley: Bidenova cesta vyjadřuje význam střední Evropy pro USA

Washington - The forthcoming visit by U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden to Prague and Warsaw will highlight the continued importance of the region for the United States, Philip Crowley, from the U.S. State Department press department, said in reply to a CTK question at a press conference on Thursday.

The United States recently quit its plans to build elements of its anti-missile shield that were designed to protect the United States and a big part of Europe against long-range missiles that Iran might launch.

The new administration of Barack Obama now wants to build a different system that will mainly focus on short- and middle-range missiles in the near future.

Crowley said in his reply to the CTK question that Biden's visit may also help clarify cooperation opportunities in science and development and in other fields that the modified system will offer.

Biden will also visit Romania besides the Czech Republic and Poland on October 20-24.

In Prague he will meet Prime Minister Jan Fischer, President Vaclav Klaus and other leading representatives of political life and civic society.

Previous George Bush's administration wanted to build a radar base in the Czech Republic and a base with ten interceptor missiles in Poland.

The administration also signed the relevant treaties with the Czechs, but the Czech parliament did not ratify them. Meanwhile, Obama's administration reconsidered the plans.

Czech daily Mlada fronta Dnes that carried information about Biden's visit to Prague earlier this week, wrote that Biden may also talk in Prague about the possible use of U.S. fighter planes by the Czech military.

The military now uses Swedish Gripens whose lease expires in 2015.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz

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Témata: USA, diplomacy, Biden,