Poland and US begin formal talks on missile defence

Poland and the United States today opened formal talks on Washington’s contentious request to place part of a new missile defence system in the eastern European nation.

Robert Loftis, the State Department’s senior adviser for security negotiations and agreements, met Poland’s Deputy Defence Minister Boguslaw Winid and Deputy Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, Defence Ministry spokesman Jaroslaw Rybak said.

The meeting was “a good beginning” and “the first in a whole series of talks on missile defence,” said Andrew Schilling, a spokesman for the US Embassy in Warsaw.

“They had a good initial discussion, and there was an exchange of views on how the negotiations would go and on how to approach the missile defence negotiations,” Schilling said.

He declined to give any further details on today’s meeting, but said talks next week will deal with the “broader policy aspect” of the potential missile defence agreement. The US will be represented by John Rood, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation.

Rybak, the Defence Ministry spokesman, stressed ahead of Monday’s meeting that it would not produce immediate decisions “because this is not the appropriate level.”

Among issues that the two sides must address are the legal status of a possible US anti-missile base on Polish soil and the American personnel stationed there.

Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski has spoken favourably of the US request to site 10 interceptors in Poland and a radar base in neighbouring Czech Republic, saying it should enhance Poland’s security.

Washington says the system would protect most of Europe from the possibility of long-range missile strikes from Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East.

But Moscow strongly opposes the plan, calling it a threat to its own nuclear deterrent and warning of unspecified retaliatory steps.

Moscow’s reaction has raised concerns through much of Europe that placing bases in former Warsaw Pact countries could trigger a new arms race with Russia.

Czech and US government officials on Friday concluded their first-round talks on legal issues and details of a future bilateral treaty that would cover use of the radar base, which would be constructed on a military base.

Negotiations between the US and the Czech Republic are scheduled to resume at the end of May.