Czech President Vaclav Klaus will pay a four-day visit to Russia, where he will meet his counterpart Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders to talk about the planned U.S. radar base, CTK reported Wednesday.

He will also participate in business forums and have talks on regional cooperation, according to CTK.

"This is the first ever visit by a Czech president in Russia in modern history. It is our aim to stress the importance of Czech- Russian relations," Klaus told CTK.

Klaus hopes to discuss the possible U.S. radar base in the Czech Republic within the American anti-missile shield, a project resolutely rejected by Russia, the report said.

Washington in January proposed installing parts of its missile defense shield in central Europe, including 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Brdy military grounds southwest of Prague in the Czech Republic.

"A number of international issues, including the radar base, have emerged. It is my aim to have the Russian representatives understand these things," Klaus said.

During the visit, Klaus will also open the business forum at Moscow's Chamber of Commerce.

Klaus is scheduled to meet Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and receive an honorary doctorate at the Moscow State University.

On Sunday he will leave for Kazan in the autonomous Tatar Republic to meet President Mintimer Shaymiev, open the Czech-Tatar business forum and visit the Kazan Kremlin.

Several documents will be signed in the presence of Klaus and Putin, such as the protocol on the Czech-Russian agreement preventing double taxation in the income and property tax areas, an agreement on mutual protection of intellectual property within bilateral military and technical cooperation, and an agreement on the organization of repairs and modernization of Mi-24 helicopters in the Czech Republic.

Putin paid an official visit to Prague in March 2006.

Source: Xinhua