POLAND today sealed a controversial deal with the US to build an American missile base in the country.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski signed the agreement for the base which has angered Russia.
The formal signing came six days after the two countries agreed to a deal that will see 10 US intercepto
r missiles placed just 115 miles from Russia's western frontier.
The deal has sparked threats from Russia that Poland is making itself vulnerable to attack – even a nuclear one.
The deal, and Russia's rhetoric, have further strained Moscow's ties with the West in the wake of its invasion of Georgia.
"The negotiations were very tough but friendly," Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after the signing.
"We have achieved our main goals, which means that our country and the United States will be more secure," he said.
Before signing the deal Ms Rice emphasised that the site is not intended as a threat.
"This is a system that is defensive and is not aimed at anyone," she said. "This is an agreement that will establish a missile defence site ... that will help us to deal with the new threats of the 21st century of a long-range missile threats from countries like Iran or from North Korea."
President Lech Kaczynski expressed "great satisfaction" at the outcome after months of negotiations.
"Both sides have achieved their goals. This is a great success for Poland," he said.
As well as clearing the way for the US missile defence shield to take shape, the deal is expected to further deepen Washington's military partnership with Poland, an ally in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Warsaw and Washington spent a year and a half negotiating, and talks recently had snagged on Poland's demands that the US bolster Polish security with short-range Patriot interceptor missiles in exchange for hosting the missile defence base.
The Patriots are meant to protect Poland from short-range missiles from neighbours – such as Russia.
The full article contains 342 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
