RPT-Czechs, U.S. make progress in missile shield talks

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Czech and U.S. negotiators moved closer to a deal on building a radar base in the Czech Republic as part of a U.S. missile defence shield opposed by Russia, envoys from the two countries said on Tuesday.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State John Rood and Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar said they had agreed several parts of a treaty on the radar between the two countries, but some issues still need to be settled in further talks, planned in December.

"We made significant progress today on a range of issues," Rood told journalist after two-day talks in Prague.

Pojar said it was too early to predict whether the treaty could be finalised in the next round or if more talks will be necessary early next year.

In an attempt to appease Moscow's ire over the missile shield, Russian officials could be invited to inspect the site occasionally, as well as officials from NATO member countries.

"As far as visits are concerned, then of course we are only talking about short-term visits, primarily from NATO," Pojar said.

The United States plans to build a radar in the Czech Republic and an interceptor missile base in Poland to counter threats of ballistic missiles from countries such as Iran.

The two sides also said that any foreign inspection to the radar would require an approval of both Czech Republic and the United States.

The Czechs have been eager to stress there would be no permanent Russian presence at the base, a suggestion made by U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates that had sparked bitter memories in the central European country invaded by Soviet Union-led armies in 1968.

"We obviously could allow, after mutual agreement, some kind of monitoring, inspection visits on our device in the Czech Republic (from Russia and other states), of course if, in reciprocity, our inspectors and NATO inspectors will be able to visit similar devices in those countries," he added.

(Reporting by Jan Korselt; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Keywords: SHIELD MISSILE/CZECH

[PRAGUE/Reuters/Finance.cz]