(Repeats story published late on Thursday)
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic wants
Washington's help to upgrade its military transport planes but
denied it is seeking a bonus for hosting part of a U.S. missile
shield that has fueled tensions with Russia.
As a NATO member with troops in Kosovo, Afghanistan and
Iraq, the Czech Republic needs modern military transport to move
its forces around, Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar said on
Thursday after talks at the U.S. State Department.
"I think there is definite willingness on the U.S. side to
help out with that problem because it is also in the interest of
the U.S. that there are transport aircraft possibilities with
the allies and on European soil," Pojar told reporters.
"We have never asked for any reward" for signing the deal in
July to host a radar facility for the planned shield, he said.
The Bush administration wants a tracking radar system
southwest of Prague as part of a plan to protect the United
States and Europe against the perceived threat of missile
attacks from countries such as Iran.
Moscow, at odds with Western governments over its invasion
of Georgia, has said the plan is really aimed against Russia and
that it would respond militarily to the deployment of U.S.
missiles close to its borders.
The Czech government signed the radar pact with the United
States in July and, last month, Poland agreed to host 10 missile
interceptors as part of the shield. The deals still must go
through the parliaments of both countries.
Poland asked for, and got, U.S. agreement to base a battery
of Patriot missiles on its soil. Some experts say the Patriots
would provide protection against short-range ballistic missiles
such as the SS-21 used by Russia in Georgia.
MONTHS BEFORE DECISION ON PLANES
Pojar said various types of aircraft, such as Lockheed
Martin Corp's Hercules transport plane used by many countries,
were being considered to upgrade the Czech Republic's military
but that it would be months before a final decision is made.
He did not say how a deal would be financed.
He said Prague is still negotiating a status-of-forces
agreement with Washington to cover the estimated 100 U.S. troops
that will work at the radar base.
Pojar said it would likely be next year, after a new U.S.
president takes office, before work starts on the radar's
deployment because Prague's parliament is unlikely to ratify the
agreement before the end of this year.
"We cannot move it faster than that," he said but added that
he expected the next U.S. administration would stick to the
agreement and deploy the radar.
"I guess that if the United States administration signs an
agreement, then those agreements are valid with the next
administration," Pojar said.
A new U.S. president will be elected in November and take
office in January. Republican candidate John McCain strongly
supports the development of missile defenses, including in
Poland and the Czech Republic.
But Democratic candidate Barack Obama has been more
skeptical, saying a final decision on deployment must wait until
testing has proven the system can work and that this will be
2010 at the earliest.
Pojar was in Washington for the opening of a "strategic
dialogue" with the United States, a set of talks Washington
holds with a narrow group of countries, such as Israel,
Australia, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
He met Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Judy Garber, among others.
(Editing by Kristin Roberts and John O'Callaghan)
