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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAGUE 000001 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JOHN BERGEMANN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2019 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM EZ
SUBJECT: VICE PRESIDENT'S MEETING WITH CZECH 
PARLIAMENTARIANS, OCTOBER 23, 2009 
 
Classified By: Political-Economic Counselor Charles O. Blaha; reasons 1 
.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: Vice President Biden met with a group of 
influential Czech Parliamentarians in Prague on October 23, 
including two of the signers of the July 16 "Open Letter to 
the Obama Administration" that expressed the fear that 
Central and Eastern Europe was no longer important to U.S. 
foreign policy.  The Parliamentarians had a mixed view of the 
U.S. decision to adopt a new approach to missile defense, but 
all concluded that the Czech Republic should continue its 
cooperation with the U.S. on the new architecture.  In 
separate meetings with left-of-center CSSD leader Jiri 
Paroubek and former Prime Minister and center-right ODS 
leader Mirek Topolanek, the Vice President discussed missile 
defense and energy security.  END SUMMARY. 
 
U.S. Relations with Central and Eastern Europe 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2.  (C) The Vice President emphasized that the United States 
is firmly committed to the Atlantic alliance and NATO.  He 
said he recognized that there was anxiety about U.S. 
priorities, since the United States faces so many demanding 
foreign policy priorities, including challenges in 
Afghanistan, Iran, Venezuela, and other places.  However, the 
United States continues to view European countries "including 
Central and Eastern Europe" as its closest allies.  We no 
longer think about what we can do for the countries of 
Central and Eastern Europe, but what we can do with them. 
 
¶3.  (C) The Vice President explained the decision to adopt a 
new phased, adaptive approach to missile defense was based on 
a changed understanding of the Iranian threat.  The new 
system would provide better security for Europe and would 
enable the United States to better meet its NATO Article 5 
commitments.  The United States looked forward to working 
with the Czech Republic if it chose to make contributions to 
the new system. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Vice President described the U.S. "reset" with 
Russia, saying that the U.S. and Russia had many areas of 
strategic cooperation.  However, as the Vice President 
emphasized in his February 2009 speech in Munich, the U.S. 
did not accept the idea of "spheres of influence" and 
believed all countries have the right to choose their own 
alliances. 
 
Czech Parliamentarians:  Mixed Views on U.S. Approach 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Senator and former Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr 
Vondra expressed appreciation for the Vice President's visit. 
 He noted that his party voted to deploy Czech forces to Iraq 
and Afghanistan, and supported the previous missile defense 
system, but has now paid a price for supporting the United 
States.  He said he was in favor of working with the United 
States to strengthen NATO and participating in the new 
missile defense system. 
 
¶6.  (C) Schwarzenberg noted that the previous missile defense 
system enhanced the Czech Republic's ties to the U.S. and to 
NATO.  He was disappointed when the previous system was 
canceled.  Nonetheless, he expressed interest in determining 
exactly how the Czech Republic could play a role in the new 
system, and said in spite of the disappointment, he 
considered the friendship with the U.S. strong. 
 
¶7.  (C) CSSD Parliamentarian Zaoralek thanked the Vice 
President for "suspending" the radar plan.  In his opinion, 
this set the stage for a new beginning for U.S.-Czech 
relations on a more balanced footing. 
 
¶8.  (C) Christian Democrat Pavel Svoboda noted that his party 
supported the radar because it helped reinforce the idea that 
Russia did not have the right to maintain spheres of 
influence.  He supported the new missile defense plan for the 
same reason.  Svoboda said the U.S.-Russia "reset" made him 
nervous.  The Vice President reiterated that neither the old 
nor the new missile defense plan was about Russia.  He 
reiterated that the U.S. rejects the idea of spheres of 
influence. 
 
¶9.  (C) Jan Hamacek of the CSSD said the Vice-President's 
decision to visit Prague, following President Obama's trip to 
Prague earlier in the year, was a strong signal of U.S. 
commitment.  Hamacek said the decision to change the missile 
defense system "corrected a wrong approach."  He felt that 
 
PRAGUE 00000001  002 OF 003 
 
 
the U.S. and Czech Republic should not focus on missile 
defense as the only issue on the bilateral agenda; other 
topics such as energy security and NATO's efforts in 
Afghanistan were also important. 
 
Meeting with Paroubek 
--------------------- 
 
¶10.  (C) The Vice President met with left-of-center CSSD 
leader Jiri Paroubek, who said he welcomed the U.S. decision 
to adapt the missile defense architecture.  Paroubek said it 
did not matter if the Czech Republic were part of the missile 
defense system, because being in NATO provides security.  He 
described the Czech alliance with NATO and the EU as 
important, but not a hindrance to having strong relations 
with other countries.  His CSSD party hoped to play a role in 
the Middle East Peace Process, and build stronger relations 
with the Democratic party in the United States.  The Vice 
President expressed appreciation for Paroubek's views on 
missile defense, noting that neither the previous system nor 
the new system was about Russia.  The Vice President raised 
energy security, noting that Europe needed alternatives to 
Russian energy sources; in the long run, this would foster 
more competitive practices in Russia, so would be good for 
Russia and for Europe.  Turning to nuclear energy, the Vice 
President urged Paroubek to consider Westinghouse as a 
potential supplier for nuclear power plants in the Czech 
Republic. 
 
Meeting with Topolanek 
---------------------- 
 
¶11. (C)   The Vice President met with former Prime Minister 
and center-right leader Mirek Topolanek.  Topolanek praised 
the Vice President's October 22 speech in Bucharest 
describing U.S. commitment to Central and Eastern Europe, and 
expressed appreciation for the Obama Administration's efforts 
to build better relations with Europe.  The Czech Republic 
considers the U.S. its closest ally, and it would support the 
new missile defense system.  Topolanek expressed concern 
about how the new system would be financed.  Topolanek and 
the Vice President agreed that it would make sense for the 
Czech Republic to participate in the new system, especially 
in the scientific and technical aspects of future phases. 
Topolanek said the Czech Republic wants closer cooperation on 
Afghanistan.  The Vice President and Topolanek agreed that 
the upcoming High Level Defense Group in Prague should 
discuss in more detail how the U.S. and Czech Republic could 
cooperate more closely on missile defense and Afghanistan. 
Topolanek raised energy security, noting it was important for 
the Czech Republic to diversify its sources.  The Vice 
President said it was his view that Europe could do much more 
to protect itself from vulnerabilities of dependence on 
Russian energy, but agreed that the U.S. was prepared to 
participate in further discussions of what could be done 
together.  He repeated his advocacy for Westinghouse as a 
potential supplier of nuclear power plants for Czech 
Republic. 
 
¶12. (U) PARTICIPANTS 
 
United States 
------------- 
Vice President Joseph R. Biden 
Charge d,Affaires a.i. Mary Thompson-Jones 
Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice 
President 
Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, NSC Senior Director for Europe 
Barry Pavel, NSC Senior Director for Defense Policy and 
Strategy 
Pamela Quanrud, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe 
Sumona Guha, Special Advisor for Europe and Eurasia to the 
Vice President 
John Law, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy Prague 
Charles Blaha, Political-Economic Counselor, Embassy Prague 
Amy Carnie, External Relations, Political-Economic Section, 
Embassy Prague 
 
Czech Republic 
-------------- 
Vaclav Bartuska, Ambassador-at-Large for Energy Security, 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Jan Hamacek, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament 
of the Czech Republic 
Petr Hulinsky, Shadow Defense Minister for the Social 
Democratic Party (CSSD) 
Miroslav Kalousek, Parliament of the Czech Republic 
Petr Kolar, Ambassador to the United States 
 
PRAGUE 00000001  003 OF 003 
 
 
Ondrej Liska, Parliament of the Czech Republic 
Miroslava Nemcova, Deputy Chair, Parliament of the Czech 
Republic 
Karel Schwarzenberg, Senate of the Czech Republic 
Pavel Svoboda, Parliament of the Czech Republic 
Jan Vidim, Chair of Defense Committee, Parliament of the 
Czech Republic 
Alexandr Vondra, Senate of the Czech Republic 
Lubomir Zaoralek, Deputy Chair, Parliament of the Czech 
Republic 
Lucas