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Missile Defenses for Stability in Europe

Amerika Haus
Vienna, February 19, 2008

Remarks by Public Affairs Officer Robert Hugins, U.S. Embassy Vienna

Powerpoint Presentation by Baker Spring

Strategic Speaker Baker Spring, a missile defense expert at the private Heritage Foundation, engaged Austrian officials, media, and others February 18-19 in Vienna. PAS, the Defense Attaché, and the ECON/POL section teamed to program Spring to elevate broader understanding of the Poland-Czech Republic-U.S. missile defense initiative after a minister and commentators in neutral Austria publicly labeled it a “provocation” for Russia. The core of Spring’s visit was a presentation on missile defense strategy to 25 security experts, academics, and reporters at a forum where two Austrian security specialists commented on the topic. A Czech Foreign Ministry official from Prague, also on the panel, explained his government’s reasons for backing the shield.


Public Affairs Officer Robert Hugins, U.S. Embassy Vienna, giving his welcoming remarks	Baker Spring, F. M. Kirby Research Fellow in National Security Policy, The Heritage Foundation


Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heinz Gärtner, Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)	Klaus Becher, Research Director, International Institute for Liberal Policy


Viktor Dvořák, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Remarks by Public Affairs Officer Robert Hugins

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Amerika Haus. I'm Bob Hughins the Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy. Today we will focus on U.S. missile defense policy, in particular on the planned missile defense shield in Poland and in the Czech Republic. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be here this morning among so many distinguished experts on security policy, both on the panel and in the audience.

Our keynote speaker Baker Spring of The Heritage Foundation will give us an in-depth analysis of missile defense policy from the American perspective. Mr. Spring just visited Poland and the Czech Republic, and he will certainly be able to update us on the current status of the missile defense plans in those countries. Mr. Spring is the F.M. Kirby Research Fellow in National Security Policy at The Heritage Foundation. In 2003 he received the prestigious Dr. W. Glenn and Rita Ricardo Campbell Award for his work. Earlier in his career, Mr. Spring served as a defense and foreign policy expert for Sens. Paula Hawkins and David Karnes. He holds a master's degree in national security studies from Georgetown University.

Professor Heinz Gärtner of the Austrian Institute for International Affairs, our co-sponsor for this event, kindly agreed to moderate the panel discussion that will follow Mr. Spring's presentation. Prof. Gärtner is a renowned expert on security policy issues. He teaches at the University of Vienna, was a visiting professor at Stanford University, and he will return to Stanford this year on a Fulbright professorship.

Klaus Becher of the International Institute for Liberal Policy is another distinguished missile defense expert on the panel. He is the institute's research director for foreign, security and defense policy. Mr. Becher is also the managing partner in the London-based consultancy firm Knowledge & Analysis LLP.

Missile Defense is a key concern of the United States and its NATO allies. It is being widely discussed among EU member states, especially in the light of Russia's opposition to a missile defense shield in Central Europe. It is a serious issue directly bearing upon the national security of many countries - an issue transcending partisan politics and superficial judgments. Military experts, politicians, academics, journalists and all others concerned owe it to the public to have a rational and fact-based discussion on missile defense. I trust that today's event will be in this spirit.

Before I open the floor to Mr. Spring, please let me extend a special thank you to Dean Yap, the Embassy's Counselor for Political Affairs, and to our Military Attaché Colonel Stefan Aubrey. Without their support and expertise, this program would not have been possible. On behalf of our gracious host Colonel Aubrey, I would like to invite you to a light lunch after our panel discussion, served here at Amerika Haus.

Mr. Spring the floor is yours. Thank you.