The Czech Republic currently holds the rotating EU presidency and would have been represented by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, but his government lost a vote of no confidence on Tuesday and will now have to resign.
"The Czech Republic has officially informed us [Russia], that the delegation of the European Union at the summit in Khabarovsk will be represented by the Czech president," Vladimir Chizhov said.
The opposition accused the government of Topolanek of inactivity during the ongoing global financial crisis and also reiterated its position against the government's plans to deploy elements of the U.S. missile shield in the country.
The agreement to station a U.S. radar about 90 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Prague was signed on July 8 by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.
The United States has cited Iran's controversial nuclear program as one of the reasons behind its plans to deploy a missile base in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic. The missile shield has been strongly opposed by Russia, which views it as a threat to its national security.
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