Poland might complete its negotiations with the U.S. about the installation of a U.S. base with interceptor missiles on Polish soil this autumn, chief Polish negotiator Witold Wasczykowski said in Prague on Monday.
Everything depends on what support Poland will manage to win from the U.S. in the negotiations, Wasczykowski said at a conference on missile defense here, adding that the talks could take another three to four months.
It is difficult to assess how far Poland has proceeded in its negotiations to date, the Czech news agency CTK quoted Wasczykowski as saying.
The negotiations on missile defense and on Polish military's modernization have each reached halfway approximately, Wasczykowski added.
The United States is planning to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic as part of its European missile shield.
While the Czech Republic is expected to complete its negotiations with the U.S. soon, the Polish negotiations have got protracted.
Poland demands as a condition for its consent that the U.S. supply it with the Patriot or THAAD systems and invest further millions of dollars in the Polish army modernization.
Wasczykowski said that Poland and the U.S. base on its soil should be protected appropriately.
He said that Poland is a country situated on the edge of the EU and NATO. Up to now, there has been no allied military installation on Polish territory.
The U.S.-Polish talks would continue in Poland this week, he added.
Poland realizes that presidential elections have drawn near in the U.S., Wasczykowski said, adding that Warsaw does not expect any fundamental change in the U.S. policy under the new president.
In his opinion, the new U.S. government will continue considering countries such as Iran to be a threat.
Both U.S. Republicans and Democrats have voiced support for the project, he said.
The Polish public is split over the installation of the U.S. base on Polish soil. Those who are opposed to it have inaccurate information, according to Wasczykowski.
A part of Poles believe that the planned base is a nuclear installation, while some believe the base would tie Poland with the U.S. forever, and Poland would have to fight everywhere along with the U.S, if the base were built in the country, Wasczykowski said.
Source:Xinhua
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