Poland and US open talks on missile defence

Poland and the United States were today opening their first formal talks on Washington’s contentious plans for missile defence, the US Embassy said.

Robert Loftis, the State Department’s senior adviser for security negotiations and agreements was to meet in Warsaw with Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski and representatives of the Defence Ministry, US Embassy spokesman Andrew Schilling said.

They will focus on the “status of forces’ agreement in connection with missile defence,” meaning the legal status of the base and its personnel, how they are treated and what is their legal responsibility on Polish territory, Schilling said.

He said that another, higher level round of talks would be held next week in Warsaw, led by John Rood, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-proliferation, to deal with the “broader policy aspect of the whole missile defence agreement”.