Czech to join US missile defense system

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Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer is endorsing a revised US missile defense plan. He met with US Vice President Joe Biden in Prague.

Fischer says his country is ready to take part in the new plan, which focuses on short- and medium-range interceptors. Last month, the Obama administration scrapped blueprints to base a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. The original system was designed to shoot down long-range missiles. Russia had strongly objected, saying the system jeopardized its own security.

US Vice President Joe Biden said, "And today, we discussed the potential role the Czech Republic could play in a new architecture, a better architecture, an architecture that has the capacity to actually protect Europe and is not just focused on the United States of America.The new missile programme is designed to meet existing threats in Europe."