Polish leaders have told US vice president Joe Biden, who was visiting Poland, that Warsaw supports the revised missile defence plan put forward by the Obama administration after Washington dropped a Bush-era "missile shield" plan.
 
Poland has agreed to host the US navy’s Standard Missile-3 anti ballistic missile system, commonly referred to as the SM – 3. The new system is designed, in effect, to intercept and destroy missiles fired by Iran.
 
The Bush-era plan was criticised by Moscow, which alleged that it was targeted against Russia.
 
After US president Barack Obama announced the changed plan, media in Poland and the Czech Republic reacted with indignation, in effect accusing Washington of caving in to Moscow in its desire to "reset" relations with Russia.
 
"Our new phased adaptive approach to missile defense is designed to meet a growing threat, not only to the United States, but first and foremost to Europe," Biden said.
 
"It is going to meet it with proven technology that will cover more of Europe, including Poland, and it will do it more efficiently than the previous system could have or did."
 
Biden, speaking after meeting Polish president Lech Kaczynski, said: "I welcome the president's support for the missile defence, and for Poland's offer to host (the SM – 3)".
 
Biden said that he had assured Kaczynski that no one should fail to understand that the commitment of the US and of Nato to the security was "unalterable".
 
"It will not change. It has not changed," Biden said.
 
After Poland, Biden headed on to Romania, where before his arrival there were already media reports that Bucharest also welcomed the new missile system.
 
"The new system protects the whole of the Romanian territory against possible missile attacks and this is very important," Romanian foreign ministry official Bogdan Aurescu was quoted as saying.
 
After Romania, Biden will go to the Czech Republic, where the revised missile defence system is also a key item on the agenda.