RPT-Russia rejects missile shield cooperation-Czechs

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By Louis Charbonneau

Russia has so far rejected all U.S. offers to participate in a missile shield to be deployed in the Czech Republic and Poland, Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra said on Tuesday.

Moscow has denounced plans to place 10 interceptor rockets in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic as a threat to Russia's national security and says it could upset a strategic balance of forces in Europe.

Last month U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates visited Moscow with proposals that would enable the Russians to cooperate on developing the system Washington says is aimed at "rogue states" like Iran and North Korea.

"So far Russia has rejected them," said Vondra, who is in Berlin for meetings with top German officials about the missile shield and the European Union constitution.

"I say 'so far' because I don't know if they will continue to do so."

Moscow says the missile shield is aimed at Russia and could eventually house attack missiles or be used to spy on Russian facilities. Washington denies these allegations.

Russia has received support from conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who say the shield could undermine the global non-proliferation regime.

Merkel has said the missile shield should be discussed broadly with Russia and within NATO.

Vondra said Prague wants Russia to get involved. However, the Czechs would not allow Moscow to veto the shield project.

"For me the first ally of Europe is the United States. We haven't given that up," he told reporters at the Czech embassy.

U.S. Assistant Secretary John Rood was in Prague on Tuesday to negotiate treaties that would establish the base for the radar to be built.

Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar said the Czechs would come up with counter-proposals within two months.

"We want the entire area, all allies within NATO to be protected under NATO against the threat of missiles of various reaches from various places in the Middle East," Pojar told reporters.

The Czechs have said they would seek increased security guarantees from the United States, related to threats of international terrorism.

The Czechs expect negotiations to be completed in late 2007 so the treaties can be submitted for parliamentary ratification in early 2008. (Additional reporting by Jan Korselt in Prague)

Keywords: SHIELD RUSSIA/CZECH

[BERLIN/Reuters/Finance.cz]