Missile Defense Cooperation

Ambassador Richard W. Graber

Message from the Ambassador

Richard W. Graber

On April 3, the United States and the Czech Republic announced the completion of negotiations on a missile defense agreement. This agreement is an important step in our efforts to protect our nations and our NATO Allies from the growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction.

We strongly believe that our cooperation in this area will make a substantial contribution to NATO’s collective capability to counter existing and future threats in the 21^st century, and will be an integral part of the future NATO-wide missile defense architecture.

Negotiations continue related to the other major agreement, the SOFA governing all legal aspects related to U.S. military personnel potentially residing in the Czech Republic. As a lawyer, I appreciate the importance of clear, detailed, thorough work in the agreement.  The Ministry of Defense negotiators have also discussed a Framework Agreement, which relates to expanding U.S.-Czech cooperation in expanding research and development related to missile defense.

The U.S. government does not know when the Agreements will reach the Czech parliament, but we hope it will be this year. I respect the need for a candid, informed dialogue within Czech society in order to reach firm consensus on this issue. I am committed to keeping you informed.

This web page is one of the tools I hope readers will draw upon to enhance your knowledge of the missile defense system and judge the importance of joining other allies in this effort. While many of the details will only be determined during the full course of negotiations, we have tried to provide authoritative, yet clear, answers to many questions, along with texts and transcripts from U.S. government experts. 

If the information on our web page does not answer your question, I invite you reach us directly with your questions and concerns.

Thank you for your interest.

Signed

 

 

April 3, 2008

ask the embassy

Questions on Missile Defense

You can send questions on missile defense to Embassy officials:
QuestionsMDPrague@state.gov

Please see also our Frequently Asked Questions page, that include basic information on missile defense cooperation.  

 

 

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