The US Vice President Joseph Biden, who is on his West European tour, arrives in the Czech Republic October,22. In Prague he is to meet with President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Jan Fischer who leads the Parliament.
The visit is to demonstrate the growth of bilateral relations. However, Joe Biden's main goal is to explain the motives for Barack Obama's refusal to deploy the ABM elements in Poland and the Czech Republic. These explanations are meant for both East Europeans and Americans. Artyom Malygin, expert at the Moscow Institute of International Relations , comments: "Biden's visit is a kind of "calming" campaign of the Obama's opponents, that is the Republican party that views President's actions as too concessive, mild and compromising. "
Washington's decision to postpone the third ABM positional region was taken without interaction with Warsaw and Prague which made them feel like pawns in the US strategic game. Though American military strategic plans were changed , Eastern Europe still has an important part to play in them.
The military aspect may be considered essential in Joe Biden's tour. During the recent negotiations in Warsaw the possible participation of Poland in creating a new, more mobile, American ABM system was on the agenda. This new system is the SM-3 missiles deployment. Prague may be offered to purchase American supersonic fighters.
As for Romania, it is involved in other military preparations, the same as Bulgaria. Despite the given promises to Russia, the US is constructing military bases in Bulgaria and Romania. The Romanian project is nearing completion and the Bulgarian will be put into commission in 2011. According to the US military newspaper "the Stars and Stripes" more than 4 thousand American soldiers are planned to be deployed in Romania and Bulgaria.
The installations in Romania and Bulgaria go in line with the program of relocation of American troops in Europe announced on 2004 by then president George Bush. Its main goal is the maximum proximity to Russian borders.