The Czech Republic is ready to participate in a new US missile defence system for Europe, Prime Minister Jan Fischer said today after meeting US vice-president Joe Biden.
The Czech Republic and Poland were due to host elements of a defence shield planned by the US administration of George W. Bush to protect against possible long-range attack from Iran. However, President Barack Obama has scrapped the plan.
Mr Biden has toured central and eastern Europe this week to reiterate US commitment to the region and soothe Polish and Czech concerns about a revamped scheme proposed by Washington.
"The Czech Republic is prepared to participate in such a new architecture, seeks its place in it," Mr Fischer told reporters after the meeting.
Poland and the Czech Republic were unhappy at the shelving of the Bush era plan, seeing it as a security guarantee against Russia which has been increasing its influence in the region, mainly through control of energy supplies.
However, Russia welcomed scrapping the previous scheme, which it saw as an expansion of US military presence close to its borders.
Mr Biden said defence officials had still to discuss what form cooperation would take. "A high-level defence team will come to Prague in early November to discuss this as well as defence cooperation in a range of areas," he said.
Czech participation may depend in part on the next government to be formed after the mid-2010 election.
The country's right-wing parties support participation but the left had strongly opposed the Bush-era plan and has not taken a position on the new proposals.
Poland said earlier this week it was ready to take part in the new scheme. The plan envisages the deployment first of sea-based interceptors and then of land-based systems. Under this arrangement, Poland could host SM-3 interceptors targeting short and medium-range missiles.