Czech-U.S. talks on radar base next month

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, April 5 (UPI) -- Czech and U.S. officials scheduled talks for next month on putting a U.S. radar station on Czech territory, Prague Radio said.

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told parliament the first round of negotiations on building the U.S. radar base as an anti-missile defense system in Europe is to begin May 11 in Prague, the radio said Thursday.

Schwarzenberg said the U.S. radar base, to be placed in the Brdy military district 45 miles southwest of Prague, would boost the Czech Republic's security.

Referring to criticism the Czech Republic is to sign a bilateral agreement with the United States on deploying the radar base, Schwarzenberg said the Prague government will demands the U.S. base be part of NATO's defense system in the future.

An interceptor missile base is to be deployed in neighboring Poland.