Czechs don't expect US to scrap missile shield plans

Czech Deputy Premier Alexandr Vondra said Thursday he is not expecting the US to scrap its missile shield plans in Europe, despite President Barack Obama's decision to review the scheme which Moscow opposes.
"I don't expect it will be scrapped," Vondra said in an interview with AFP, adding that "It's up to the Americans to say what their ideas are."
Prague and Washington last year signed two deals for the installment of a missile radar southwest of Prague as part of the controversial US missile shield scheme.
Former president George W. Bush launched the plans to extend the US missile shield into Europe, basing 10 interceptors in Poland linked to a radar in the Czech Republic to counter any threat from "rogue states," primarily Iran.
But Obama's administration has begun a review of the project's costs and technical feasibility, a move which has eased fears in Russia that the shield was aimed at it.
"It's logical that a new administration coming to power wants to make a review of all important things and that's an important thing. I expect the first results of this review to be presented some time later this year," said Vondra.
However while not expecting the project to be scrapped, the Czech deputy prime minister did admit there could be delays and modifications.
"There is the question about the speed, there is the question about some adjustments," he said.
One reason not to rush could be "the question of the maturity of the threats" from Iran, but it does not mean that we're going to scrap."
Officially, Russian diplomats have downplayed US and Israeli fears that Iran is on the verge of building an atomic weapon, while Moscow has resisted calls for tougher sanctions on Tehran for its disputed nuclear programme.
However a Russian strategic arms expert said earlier this month that Iran could produce an atomic weapon in "one or two years".
Obama's administration has already made some rapprochement towards Tehran.
The US held its first direct contact with Iran Tuesday at a conference on Afghanistan where America and its old foe found common cause on rebuilding the war-torn state.
The Czech government, which holds the rotating EU presidency, will host Obama at an EU-US summit in Prague on Sunday.
There it will hope to persuade him of the shield's usefulness despite public opposition to the project.
"There are some threats, so we should work together to see how to guarantee the protection of all allies if the threats persist," Vondra said.
"Iran certainly, if you measure this by its nuclear programme as well as the ballistic missile programme, belongs to the most serious threats."