U.S. Congressman Trent Franks failed on Thursday to persuade the head of the major Czech opposition party to host a U.S. anti-missile radar system in the country, the Czech news agency CTK reported.
"I don't think that something could change my mind," Paroubek, head of the Social Democrat party, said after his meeting with Franks, a member of the U.S. Armed Services Committee.
However, his party would respect the result of a referendum, Paroubek said.
The center-right ruling coalition that favors the radar deployment is opposed to holding a referendum and says that parliament must make the decision.
Franks, who is in Prague at the invitation of the Czech government, told Paroubek that politicians should look into the future, not only into the next elections, and stressed that the Americans by no means want to control the Czech Republic or any other ally.
Franks said the anti-missile system, which is directed mainly against what the United States calls "rogue nations", would protect Europe as well as the United States.
A recent opinion poll showed that more than two-thirds of Czech citizens are against such a base in their country.
Source: Xinhua
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