Prague asks Washington for aid for military planes but denies link to radar

The Czech Republic has asked the United States to help it upgrade its military transport planes, but denies such aid would be in reward for hosting a US radar base in central Bohemia. The story was reported by Reuters. As a NATO member with troops in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Czech Republic needs modern military transport to move its forces, Deputy Foreign Minister Tomáš Pojar said on Thursday after talks at the US State Department. He stressed that Prague had never asked for any reward for agreeing to host a US radar facility - part of the United States’ planned defence shield in Europe. The Czech Republic and the US signed a treaty on the radar base in July, while a supplementary treaty is expected to be signed in September. The plans will then need to be approved by the Czech Parliament.

Author: Jan Velinger