CZECH INTEL COMMITTEE APPROVES NEGOTIATION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000234 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2018 TAGS: CMGT CVIS PREL PTER EZ SUBJECT: CZECH INTEL COMMITTEE APPROVES NEGOTIATION OF HSPD-6 Classified By: CG Stuart M. Hatcher for some reason. (C) 1. In the course of a visit by a DHS team to discuss visa waiver implementing arrangements, CG met with Martin Linhart, Director of the Security Policy Department at the Czech Interior Ministry. He is the official most directly responsible for the Czech negotiation of a Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6 (HSPD-6) agreement. CG provided Linhart with the most recent version of the draft agreement (March 2008 Model),and confirmed the Czech understanding that execution of such an agreement was now required of all new visa waiver countries. (C) 2. Linhart provided a Czech progress report: The Czech Intelligence Activities Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and including Interior Minister Ivan Langer and the chiefs of the internal and external security services, on April 9 authorized the negotiation of a terrorist watchlist sharing arrangement with the United States (HSPD-6). The major obstacle to the agreement has been the lack of a Czech counterpart to the Terrorist Screening Center. The government mandate addresses this issue by authorizing an initial agreement on the sharing of police information only, to be followed in the future by information "owned" by other agencies. In parallel with this process, the Security Policy Department of the Interior Ministry has been tasked with devising a plan to develop a Czech terrorist screening center. The deadline for presenting this plan to the government is June 30, 2008. (C) 3. Comment. The Czechs will go over the new draft agreement line-by-line, and with their customary thoroughness can e expected to come up with a detailed counter proposal within the next few weeks. Post is certain the will exists for a Czech-US meeting of the minds, and estimates an agreement will be ready for signing before the end of June. End Comment. Graber