US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Ellen Tauscher is expected in Prague on Monday for talks focusing
predominantly on anti-missile defense. Ms Tauscher is scheduled to meet
with the Czech foreign minister, Jan Kohout, and the leaders of the two
strongest parties in the country, the Civic and Social Democrats.
After scrapping Bush-era missile defense plans for Central Europe, the
Obama administration has expressed interest in building a missile defense
system that would be part of NATO defense structures. According to
diplomatic sources Washington has already submitted specific proposals
under which the Czech Republic might join the emerging project, but no
details have been released.