Liska added that Greens chairman Martin Bursik shared this opinion. "We, Greens, will do our utmost for the treaty to be ratified only after the new U.S.
administration assumes power, which means next year at the earliest," Liska said. He said if the ratification took place earlier, no new facts that would twist his decision not to support the project would probably emerge. Liska said he would wait with the ratification process since he is not convinced that the radar project enjoys support of both the Republicans and Democrats in the United States. He added he knows the opinions of both U.S. presidential candidates, Barack Obama (Democrats) and John McCain (Republicans), on foreign policy. The talks US climate change bill is blocked ...
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Czech opposition CSSD expects no-confidence in three weeks ... on the missile defence project within NATO should make some progress by then, Liska said. The decision to implement the radar into NATO's structure can be made only in 2009 anyway, so there is no reason to hurry up, Liska pointed out. According to unofficial information, Liska was the only minister to abstain from the vote on the Czech-U.S. radar treaty in the government in May. Other ministers from the Civic Democrats (ODS), the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the remaining two for Greens (SZ) supported the treaty. The United States wants to build the radar base on the Brdy military grounds, 90 km southwest of Prague, and a base with ten interceptor missiles in Poland within its missile shield. The Central European elements are to protect the United States and a large part of the European continent against missiles that states like Iran might launch. The government has completed its talks with the USA on the main radar treaty, while the negotiations on the complementary SOFA treaty, dealing with U.S. soldiers' status on Czech territory still continue. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to arrive in the Czech Republic in early July to sign the treaties. The radar treaties must be ratified by Czech parliament and signed by President Vaclav Klaus to take effect.
(Ceske Noviny)
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