The Czech Republic and Poland said Monday they were both on the verge of striking a deal with Washington on hosting elements of an US anti-missile shield, despite Russian anger over the project.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is to finalise a deal on siting an anti-missile radar on Czech soil during a two-day visit to the United States starting Tuesday, his government said in a statement.
"Prime Minister Topolanek will close final details of the agreement on the radar and strengthen Euro-Atlantic relations," the statement said.
Washington wants the Czech Republic to host a tracking radar and neighbouring Poland 10 interceptor missiles aimed at protecting the United States and allies from attack from so-called "rogue states" such as Iran.
Topolanek is scheduled to meet US President George W. Bush on Wednesday and the government said he would be looking to negotiate Czech "participation" in US weapons research.
While the hope was to finalise a deal, the statement stressed that no agreement would be signed during Topolanek's US visit, as the premier wanted to coordinate the finals steps with Poland.
Poland recently stepped up its demands for security guarantees and help in improving its defence capacity in return for participating in the anti-missile project.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Monday that he was "close to a good solution," but again stressed the importance of security guarantees.
"This solution must also be of benefit to Poland, not only to the United States," Tusk told Polish Radio.
"Either our conditions will be fulfilled … or there will be no shield," he added.
Tusk is due to meet President Bush in Washington on March 10.
Russia remains staunchly opposed to the siting of the shield elements on its doorstep and it has threatened to point its own missiles at Poland should it agree to host the US interceptors.
