Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met her Polish counterpart, Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, for more talks on a possible Polish role in a U.S. regional missile defense system in Europe. Rice leaves Washington late Monday on a European mission to conclude a missile defense deal with the Czech Republic.
美国国务卿赖斯会见了波兰外长斯考斯基，双方就波兰在美国于欧洲设置地区导弹防御系统中可能发挥的作用进一步商谈。赖斯星期一晚间从华盛顿启程前往欧洲与捷克共和国达成导弹防御协议。
Secretary Rice met behind closed doors with Foreign Minister Sikorski in a last-minute effort to conclude a deal before her European mission, which U.S. officials at one point hoped would include a stop in Warsaw to sign an accord.
国务卿赖斯与斯考斯基外长进行了不对外的会谈，这是她前往欧洲前，为与波兰达成有关协议所作的最后努力。美国官方一度希望赖斯在中途于华沙停留，以便签署有关协议。
The United States wants to station 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an associated radar system in the Czech Republic to counter what U.S. officials believe will be a long-range missile threat from Iran within a few years.
美国想要在波兰安置十个导弹拦截器，并在捷克共和国设置相关的雷达系统，以便对抗美国认为在几年内伊朗会构成的远程导弹威胁。
A tentative agreement with the Czech Republic was reached several weeks ago and Rice is expected to sign the agreement this week in Prague.
美国与捷克几星期前达成了临时协议，预计赖斯本周将在布拉格签署这项协议。
But negotiations with Poland have been difficult, with the Warsaw government pressing for the United States to underwrite a costly upgrade of the country's air defense system.
但是与波兰的谈判一直相当困难，因为华沙政府要求美国承担大笔费用更新波兰的防空系统。
Last week, senior U.S. officials said a tentative accord had been reached, but Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk last Friday said the U.S. offer was unsatisfactory, although talks would continue.
上星期美国高级官员说，已达成一项临时协议，但是波兰总理图斯克上星期五说，美国的提议并不令人满意 ，但是会谈会继续进行。
In a talk with reporters, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack was cautious about prospects for finalizing an accord during Mr. Sikorski's Washington visit, which will also include talks with Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Rood.
美国国务院发言人麦科马克在对记者发表讲话时对在斯考斯基访问华盛顿期间，与他达成最终协议的前景持谨慎态度。斯考斯基在这次访问期间也将和负责武器控制及国际安全事务的国务次卿约翰.鲁德会谈。
"I do not comment on close or not close," he said. "othing is done until everything is done. It is not done. We continue to work on it. We know it is a big issue for the Polish government. It is an important issue for us. So we are devoting the time and energy to try to work through any issues that may exist on either side."
他说：“我对是否接近于达成协议不加评论。要到一切都完成之后，才算是真正完成。 我们在继续努力。我们知道这对波兰而言是个重要问题。所以我们花费大量时间和精力努力解决任何一方可能存在的问题。”
There have been press reports the Bush administration might turn to Lithuania as an alternate site for the interceptors if the Polish talks stalled, and U.S. officials have acknowledged contacts with the Baltic state on the issue.
有新闻报导说，如果与波兰的会谈陷于停顿，布什政府可能会转向立陶宛，作为设置导弹拦截器的另一个地点。美国官员已承认与立陶宛这个波罗的海国家就有关事宜进行了接触。
Spokesman McCormack said the administration always has a fall-back plan, but said its energies remain focused on the talks with Poland.
发言人麦科马克说，布什政府始终持有一个备用方案，但是他说，目前布什政府仍把精力集中在与波兰的谈判上。
Opinion polls indicate the proposed U.S. defense plan is politically unpopular in Poland and the Czech Republic, partly because of strong opposition from Russia, which contends the system would undercut its strategic missile deterrent.
民意调查结果显示，美国提议的计划在波兰和捷克共和国都不受人欢迎，部分原因是来自俄罗斯的激烈反对。俄罗斯争辩说，这个导弹防御系统会削弱俄罗斯的战略导弹威慑力量。
U.S. officials argue the 10 interceptors could not possibly threaten Russia's huge missile force and have offered to cooperate with Moscow on what they depict as a shared threat from Iran or other rogue-state missiles.
美国官方争辩说，这十个导弹拦截器不可能危及俄罗斯威力巨大的导弹力量。美国还提议与莫斯科共同协作来对付来自伊朗等所谓流氓国家的威胁。
Rice's four-day European trip will take her to the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Georgia. It will be her first visit to Georgia as Secretary of State and McCormack said her focus will be on a peaceful resolution of tensions between Georgia and Russia over the separatist Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. |