Bush To Visit Poland In June

U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to visit Warsaw in June for talks on installing part of a U.S. missile defence system in Poland.

U.S. President George W. Bush is expected to visit Warsaw in June for talks on installing part of a U.S. missile defence system in Poland, Polish daily Rzeczpospolita said on Saturday, quoting a government source.

"We're expecting Bush to come," said the source, adding the visit had been arranged by Elzbieta Jakubiak, head of President Lech Kaczynski's office, during a recent trip to Washington.

Officials at the U.S. embassy could not be immediately reached for comment. Bush is in Europe for the June 6-8 Group of Eight summit in Germany. He is also expected to visit the Czech Republic and Rome during his trip.

Washington wants to deploy 10 interceptor rockets in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic by 2012 as part of a multibillion-dollar system designed to shoot down missiles from states such as Iran.

Poland's government supports the shield, saying it would boost Polish security. But public opinion is divided, with critics saying an installation could make Poland a target for terrorists.

Washington hopes to begin detailed negotiations with Warsaw and Prague within the next 30 days, diplomats say.

The planned shield has angered Russia, which sees the system as an encroachment on its former sphere of influence and an attempt to shift the post-Cold War balance of power.

The project has jangled nerves in Western Europe, too, notably in Germany, but no allies raised objections to the system at NATO talks on Thursday, NATO officials said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was to travel to Russia on Monday to discuss the anti-missile defence plan.