Prague says U.S. radar base not to harm relations with Russia

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said on Friday that the stationing of a U.S. radar base in his country will not become a problem in the relations between Russia and the Czech Republic.

Topolanek said this at a meeting with President Vaclav Klaus, attended by Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and Deputy Prime Minister for EU Affairs Alexandr Vondra. The meeting focused on Klaus' planned state visit to Russia later this month.

Schwarzenberg said that Czech-Russian relations were good and the radar base was being lively discussed.

"We are in close contact with Russia, our experts meet at various levels of the ministry," Schwarzenberg said.

"Naturally, there are various views ... We also have differing interests," he added.

Schwarzenberg said that the affair could be settled at the talks between the NATO Council and Russia in Oslo.

The Washington in January proposed installing parts of its anti- missile shield in central Europe, including some interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic.

The Czech government officially agreed last month to start negotiations with the United States over the location of the radar base. The negotiations are expected to start in mid-May and go on until the year's end.

Source: Xinhua