Socialist Declaration

In what will be a massive blow to the United States' plans to base its missile defense shield in Central Europe, left-wing leaders from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia plus Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) chief Kurt Beck condemned the plan and issued a joint declaration stating their opposition in no uncertain terms.

"We are concerned about the decision to deploy the system and are at one with the large majority of our populations in rejecting it," read the declaration.

The signatories called for the EU, NATO and the NATO-Russia Council to be involved in future missile defense talks.

"A decision to station the missiles must not be taken unilaterally or bilaterally, since this is a major issue affecting the security of the whole of Europe," they said.

No new arms race in Europe, urges Beck

Beck said the statement was also a message to conservative German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom the Social Democrats jointly rule, aimed at convincing the chancellor to oppose the shield and any new arms race in Europe.

"We agreed we are against any new arms build-up in Europe," the SPD leader said.

The Hungarian Social Democrats were the only invitees who refused to sign up to the wide-ranging rebuff of US attempts to site a tracking radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in neighboring Poland at a two-day meeting of party leaders in Prague.

"The Hungarian Social Democratic Party believes that Europe is exposed to a terrorist attack and we have to defend ourselves against it," the Hungarian statement issued by defense minister and deputy party chairman Imre Szekeres read. "Individual countries should decide on their cooperation in this area. We recognize their right to do so."

Tensions rise over proposed bases on Russian border

Since the plan was first revealed, it has been widely condemned. Russia has been particularly irked by plans by the US to expand the defense system along its borders. Russia opposes the plan, saying it would upset a delicate strategic balance between major powers and threaten its own security.

The US claims that the missiles would not be aimed at Russia but positioned to intercept any chemical, biological or nuclear missile attack coming from Iran or North Korea.

Washington is currently in talks with the conservative governments in Poland -- where it wants to put 10 ground-based interceptor missiles -- and in the Czech Republic, which is meant to host a radar base. The Socialist movements in both countries have been vehemently opposed to the plan and signaled their position on Friday by signing the declaration.

Plan hits funding obstacles in Washington

While opposition in Europe comes from the moral and political side of the argument, the missile shield has hit financial obstacles back home in the United States.

The $310.4 million (223.8 million euro) funding request for the proposed missile shield for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 was recently cut by $85 million by the US Senate Appropriations Committee. It was the latest blow after three other congressional committees with jurisdiction over the issue recommended cutting the plan for European sites next year.