Poland, U.S. reach tentative missile pact

WARSAW, Poland, July 3 (UPI) -- Polish and U.S. negotiators have struck a tentative agreement on a U.S. anti-missile base located in Poland, a Polish government official said Thursday.

Police Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski was quoted on Polish television as saying that he ended preliminary talks with chief U.S. negotiator John Rood in Washington and communicated the results to

Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, RIA Novosti, the Russian news agency, reported.

Although details of the tentative agreement weren't known, RIA Novosti said Warsaw apparently will receive U.S. financial help to modernize Poland's air force and air defense in exchange for agreeing to place a U.S. missile interceptor base on Polish soil.

As part of its missile shield the U.S. will build an early warning radar system in the Czech Republic. The Czech government has agreed to the plan, pending parliamentary approval.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to visit Prague and Warsaw July 8-9 to discuss the missile defense system with government officials.

Russia opposes the U.S. missile shield plan, saying it poses a threat to Russian national security, RIA Novosti said. The United States said the system is needed to deter strikes from rogue states.