remarks

Ambassador Remarks at the ČSSD Congress

Brno, March 23, 2007

Vážené dámy a pánové, vážené delegátky a delegáti, vážení hosté,

It is an honor for me to be able to greet you on the occasion of your Congress.  I hope you will forgive me if I make the remainder of my remarks in English.

In my brief time in the Czech Republic I’ve come to appreciate that our two countries have excellent bilateral relations.  And I know that the United States and CSSD have been good partners for many years.  Let us recall that the first CSSD chairman after 1989 was Jiři Horak, an American citizen committed to Czech democracy.  I am certain that we will continue to cooperate in the future.  I appreciate the open dialogue I regularly have with Chairman Paroubek and others in your party, and I was very pleased that the Chairman invited me to make a few remarks today.  I’d like to talk briefly about the two issues that are most prominent in our bilateral relations: visas and missile defense. 

First on visas.  I understand very clearly that many Czechs who would like to travel to the United States choose not to because of the cost of obtaining a visa or because they object to the fact that Czechs need visas while many other nationalities do not.  President Bush understands this too and wants to change the situation.  He announced in Tallinn last November that he would ask Congress to change our Visa Waiver Program law to allow more countries to join.   He would do so by emphasizing the security aspects of the Program and deemphasizing the economic factors that have limited membership under the current law.  President Bush has kept his promise and Congress is now considering two separate bills, one in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives.   Our legislative process can be complicated and slow and, unlike your parliamentary system, the Congress is an independent branch.  We simply cannot predict when the final bill will be passed or even what it will say.  It is important, however, that the process has begun.  And the President and I hope that there will be a successful conclusion.

In the meantime, I want to stress that we are doing all we can to make the visa application process as convenient, respectful and pleasant as possible.  We issue visas to over 90% of all applicants.  I hope that all of you who have not had the chance to visit the United States will consider doing so soon.  You are always welcome.

Let me turn now to missile defense.  As each of you know, there has been much debate about the American proposal for a missile defense radar station in the Czech Republic.  Debate, especially if well-informed, is a healthy thing.   But much of what we have heard recently is simply wrong.  Let me address three points:

First, questions exist about the need for such a system.  I want to stress that the U.S. system is a purely defensive measure in response to existing and emerging missile threats in North Korea and the Middle East – in effect, an insurance policy.  While our main concern in the Middle East today is Iran, our system has a long-term focus.  If the Czech Republic decides to host the radar facility -- and I stress that this is a Czech decision -- the system will not be operational until long after I finish my assignment as Ambassador to your country.  No one can say with certainty what threats will confront Europe and America 15 years from now.  That is why former President Clinton authorized development of the current U.S. missile defense system.  And that is why the United States asked many of our NATO allies several years ago to consider hosting elements of the system in Europe.  The facilities we have proposed for the Czech Republic and Poland will improve protection for the United States, but they will also protect our European allies from long-range missile attacks.  If our negotiations proceed and are successful, the United States, the Czech Republic and Poland will make a significant and lasting contribution to the defense of the entire Alliance.

A second question concerns the response of Russia and some other European states to the missile defense proposals.  Let me be clear:  this system is not intended as a threat to Russia.  We do not see Russia as our enemy.  Given the small scale of the project, it would be completely ineffective in countering any possible Russian offensive.  More importantly, our relationship needs no such protection.  The United States has met regularly with the Russian government to discuss our plans – no less than 12 times in the past year.  And of course we will continue to engage with the Russian government, both bilaterally and through NATO, to address their concerns.  I know that my colleague Ambassador Fedetov, the Russian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, is here today.  As our countries work through this process, I appreciate very much the open, candid and friendly relationship that we have developed during my six months in the Czech Republic.

Finally, regarding NATO, I fully appreciate the sentiments expressed by CSSD and others expressing fear that this system could somehow harm NATO.  We have been and will continue to work closely with all of our partners in NATO to make clear that this can be complimentary to any future NATO missile defense system.  The system addresses a threat that NATO itself has determined exists.  NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer said last week that the Alliance does face a threat from long-range missiles, that it could be possible to link the U.S. system with a future NATO system, and that he did not object to the negotiations that the United States has proposed with both the Czech Republic and Poland.

I know you have many, many questions about the system.  I assure you that we will answer as many questions as you ask.  We will always be open. We will always be transparent.  We have put a great deal of information on our website (prague.usembassy.gov).  General Obering hopes to be in Prague next month.  We are bringing to Prague a technical expert to work at our Embassy and to answer all the concerns about health, the environment, everyday use of cell phones and TVs and so on.  And don’t forget that formal negotiations on the base haven't even begun.  If and when they do, they will last several months.  There is time to address all of the concerns.  As I said, the final decision belongs to the Czechs.  All I ask of you now is to keep an open mind, to consider the proposal in all its detail and to make your decision only after you have complete information.  It is an important decision.  Unfortunately, we all face unpredictable adversaries that do not value human life and resort to irrational, extreme measures.  Your safety and security and ours and the safety and security of our children may be at stake.

With that, let me thank you again for the invitation to speak with you.  As a former party chairman, I know you have a great deal of work ahead of you.  I hope your Congress will be a great success and I look forward to working with CSSD in the years to come.