U.S. foreign policy aware of threats - Havel after meeting Biden

Havel said the United States were also aware of the importance of the Central European region.

He said Biden called on him to address him if he wanted to appeal on the U.S. administration in any issue.

Biden and Havel discussed the new missile defence architecture that NATO and the United States plan. However, Havel said they talked about general issues, such as the character of the partnership between Europe and the United States.

The Czech participation in new architecture against medium- and long-range missiles, which is to replace the shield originally reckoning with a U.S. radar base on Czech soil, will be discussed in November, Biden and Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer agreed earlier today.

Biden also explained Havel why Barack Obama did not meet the Dalai Lama during his visit to the United States.

Havel criticised Obama, a fresh Nobel Peace Prize winner, over this during the Prague Forum 2000 conference ten days ago.

Havel told CTK that Biden's arguments were logical. "Yet I don't consider it fortunate," he said about the postponement of Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama.

Biden met Fischer and Havel in an airport lounge. The meeting was longer than scheduled, and Biden's departure was delayed by half an hour as a result.

Autor: ČTK
www.ctk.cz