"The location of this US anti-rocket base on the territory of some European state is just an idea, there is no concrete proposal," he added.

Cirtek was responding to a New York Times article Monday saying that US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was expected to make a recommendation this summer on the site for the Europe-based antirocket defence system.

The Czech Republic and Poland are both under consideration, the paper reported.

The Washington Times and International Herald Tribune reported in March that a deal on the anti-missile site was close to being signed.

The latest New York Times article, citing unnamed Pentagon officials, said the missiles based at the site would protect the US and its European allies from Iranian attack.

Cirtek said the antimissile site has been the subject of discussions between experts from US and their European counterparts at NATO for several years. "As for a concrete project, there is nothing to negotiate," he added.

Establishment of a foreign base on Czech soil would require approval from more than half of the total number of elected representatives in both houses of the Czech parliament, the lower house and the Senate, Cirtek added.

The Czech Republic is currently in the throes of a general election with polling on June 2 and 3.

The New York Times' said that the US administration's proposal calls for installing 10 missile interceptors at a European site by 2011. The final cost, including the interceptors themselves, is estimated at 1.6 billion dollars.

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