US Embassy refutes Paroubek claim that anti-missile base will not be stationed in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has not been taken off the list of possible countries to host an anti-missile base and radar system that the United States is hoping to station in Central Europe, the US Embassy in Prague said on Saturday. The statement was issued in reaction to claims made by outgoing Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek in Saturday's issue of Pravo newspaper that the United States is no longer considering the Czech Republic as a site for its base.

A team of US experts has already inspected potential sites on Czech territory, sparking off debate over the potential threat to the Czech citizens' security and whether or not Czechs should decide on hosting the base in a referendum. Several international press reports last week also suggested that Washington plans to approach London, following mounting opposition to the base's presence in Central Europe.