Posted: March 28, 2008 |
U.S. to support Czech research in exchange for radar base |
(Nanowerk News) The U.S. government wants to sponsor Czech researchers who would help the United States in the fight against terrorism in exchange for the deployment of a U.S. radar base on Czech soil, the Hospodarske Noviny daily reported Friday.
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The U.S. Missile Defence Agency (MDA) has made a list of 15 Czech researchers, mainly from high-tech spheres such as nanotechnology, information technology and cybernetics, the paper said.
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U.S. financial support to Czech research is based on a special treaty on the stationing of the U.S. base in the Brdy military district, 90 km southwest of Prague.
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The Czech Technical University in Prague will assess what Czech researchers can offer to the U.S., the paper said.
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"Such a strong partner is a big opportunity for us. The U.S. has given us a chance to submit proposals of fields in which we are good," said Miroslava Kopicova from the Government Council for Research and Development.
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Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek recently said the treaty might be signed around the forthcoming NATO summit in Bucharest.
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"I have no doubt that the cooperation can be successful," the paper quoted Czech First Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar as saying.
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MDA Director Henry Obering and representatives of Czech and U.S. firms attended a seminar on Czech-U.S. cooperation in missile defense in January.
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The U.S. firms plan to found a consortium with Czech scientificcenters that will focus on the research of technologies related to the U.S. missile defense system.
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The U.S. is currently cooperating with Japan, Italy, Australia, Britain and Denmark on the missile defense shield. Negotiations are underway with seven other countries.
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The U.S. plans to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of its efforts to extend its missile defense system to Europe.
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Polls show about 70 percent of Czechs oppose the planned U.S. radar base in their country.
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