NATO chief in Prague talks

The NATO Secretary-General, George Robertson, says the Czech Republic must do more to bring its armed forces up to the standards of the alliance, which it joined in 1999.

Speaking after talks in Prague with President Vaclav Havel, Lord Robertson said the Czechs had done much to modernise their armed forces but much more remained to be done.

A BBC correspondent says that when Lord Robertson meets the Czech prime minister, Milos Zeman, on Thursday he's expected to advise the dropping of plans to buy up to thirty-six new fighter aircraft to replace ageing MiG-21s on the grounds that the money could be better spent elsewhere. But our correspondent says many Czech officials see the project as a matter of national prestige and Mr Zeman has consistently supported it.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service