Key week for US missile defense talks

Poland's defense minister said Tuesday that high-level talks with Washington this week will be crucial in determining whether his country will allow the U.S. to set up a missile defense base on its territory.

Bogdan Klich said on state radio 3 that experts will discuss the plan on Wednesday and high-level political negotiations will take place on Friday. Both meetings will be held in Warsaw.

"You can count on this week being key for the outcome of our talks," Klich said. "The Americans know what our expectations are."

Poland is demanding U.S. help in upgrading its military in exchange for agreeing to locate 10 missile interceptors in the country. The U.S. program also foresees placing a radar system in neighboring Czech Republic. Washington says the system is necessary to protect its European allies from possible future attacks from Iran.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is to conclude a deal on the radar system in a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday in Washington and has said he believes all necessary treaties could be completed by the end of the week.

The Czech and Polish parliaments will then have to ratify the deals. However, Topolanek has said the Czech Republic would only give its final approval after the Poles reach an agreement with the U.S.

In return for its agreement, the Czech Republic is seeking access to U.S. military research and development.

Both countries have been in negotiations with the United States since early last year over the plan, although Poland has been more reticent since a new government took office in November.

"The missile defense base doesn't have to happen," Klich said. "We are waiting for an additional incentive from the Americans that will allow us to agree to hosting an American installation on Polish territory."

Warsaw is demanding Patriot 3 or THAAD missiles, and has identified 17 areas of its military that the U.S. could help upgrade.

Russia is opposed to Washington's plans, arguing that the system would threaten its own deterrent strength and rejecting U.S. assurances that the system is not aimed at Moscow. Russian officials have threatened to aim their own missiles toward the sites in Poland and the Czech Republic in response.