| Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC August 20, 2008 Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of PolandOn August 20, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski signed in Warsaw the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Poland Concerning the Deployment of Ground-Based Ballistic Missile Defense Interceptors in the Territory of the Republic of Poland. This legally-binding agreement calls for the establishment and operation of a U.S. ballistic missile defense (BMD) interceptor facility in Poland. It is an important step in our efforts to protect the United States and Poland, as well as our NATO Allies, from the growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles of increasingly greater ranges, lethality, and sophistication, and potentially armed with weapons of mass destruction. This BMD interceptor site would provide a defensive capability to protect Europe and the United States against longer-range ballistic missiles launched from the Middle East, and will be linked to other U.S. missile defense facilities in Europe and the United States. In addition to deepening the bilateral strategic relationship between our two countries, U.S.-Poland cooperation in this area will make a substantial contribution to NATO’s collective security and will be an integral part of any future NATO-wide missile defense architecture. Upon ratification by the Polish Parliament and entry into force, the ballistic missile defense agreement will allow the United States to construct, maintain, and operate a facility encompassing ten ground-based BMD interceptors. The United States and Poland will negotiate a separate agreement to address the status of U.S. military forces to be deployed to the territory of Poland. U.S. and Polish military forces will cooperate in providing physical security for the missile defense interceptor facility. The United States will provide the Polish Government with situational awareness into operations and training at the interceptor facility, which includes receiving real-time information of ballistic missiles tracked by the missile defense radar to be located in the Czech Republic, intercept information, and the status of the U.S. missile defense system in Europe. 2008/654 |
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