U.S. President George W. Bush delivers a speech during a democracy and security conference at Czermin Palace in Prague, June 5, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
PRAGUE, June 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush called Tuesday for cooperation from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the deployment of a planned U.S. missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Bush made the speech at a press conference after talks with Czech President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek in Prague Castle.
"The Cold War has ended and Russia is not the United States' enemy," said the U.S. president.
Bush said he would explain to Putin that there was no reason for Russian concerns over the U.S. project, which Moscow sees as a threat to its security.
The U.S. anti-missile base in Central Europe was "purely a defense system" and could not threaten Russia, he said, adding that it was designed to protect the free world from extremists and"rogue" regimes.
Bush will meet Putin later this week at the Group of Eight (G8)summit in Germany.
According to Bush, the U.S. system was not a matter of bilateral negotiations with the Czechs and Poles, but it would be coordinated within NATO.
Klaus praised Bush's readiness to explain the anti-missile system plan to Russia.
He said his country is willing to consolidate trans-Atlantic relations.
"I assured Mr President that I, as well as the government, am interested in Europe not perceiving the United States as a competitor. We are not really participating in creating a united Europe as a kind of counterbalance to America. This is by no means our goal," Klaus said.
Bush arrived here for a working visit late Monday. His two-day trip was focusing on the planned installation of the U.S. radar base on the Czech territory.
The United States made a formal request in January to place a radar base in the Brdy military area southwest of Prague and 10 interceptor missiles in neighboring Poland as part of a planned global missile defense shield.
MOSCOW, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would take retaliatory measures against the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in Central Europe, the Itar-Tass news agency reported on Monday.
"In case of the deployment of anti-missile defense systems in Europe we warn that there will be retaliatory steps. We have to ensure our security. And this process was not initiated by us," Putin said in an interview published on Monday focusing on the Group of Eight (G8) summit scheduled for later this week in Germany. Full story
PRAGUE, June 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush called for cooperation from his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin here Tuesday on the deployment of a planned U.S. missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Bush made the speech at a press conference after talks with the Czech President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek in Prague Castle. Full story
WARSAW, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. plans to base elements of the anti-missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic should be decided at the NATO and EU forum, visiting head of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering said on Tuesday.
"This is not a bilateral Polish-U.S. or Czech-U.S matter. This should be a joint matter that should be decided at the NATO and EU forum," Poettering told a press conference in Warsaw. Full story
PRAGUE, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Czech opposition Social Democrat chairman Jiri Paroubek said his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday has changed nothing in his party's objection to the planned deployment of a U.S. radar base on Czech territory.
"We differ on this particular issue, but this does not downgrade friendship with the American people," Paroubek said at a press conference. Full story
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