US embassy cable - 04PRAGUE1871

UNCLAS PRAGUE 001871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR EUR HCONLEY AND R TISGITT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EZ 
SUBJECT: RFE/RL GETS "NEW LEASE" ON LIFE IN PRAGUE 
 
 
1.  (U) Sensitive But Unclassified - Not for Internet 
Distribution. 
 
2.  (SBU) The Czech cabinet announced on December 22 the 
approval of a new lease for Prague-based Radio Free 
Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which will extend their tenure 
in their current headquarters building until December 31, 
2007.  The current five-year lease was due to expire at the 
end of this month, but GOCR officials had repeatedly assured 
us that the lease would be extended to cover the USG 
projected schedule of time necessary to move the radios to a 
safer location in Prague.  Due to a technical change in Czech 
law, a new lease was approved, rather than an extension of 
the current lease, but the conditions of the agreement remain 
the same. The government's decision was announced with little 
fanfare, and leading news outlets carried straightforward 
accounts noting that the lease was extended while the search 
for an alternate location remains ongoing. 
 
3.  (SBU) Otherwise, the search for a new location remains on 
track, with four companies submitting bids on November 23 to 
build a new headquarters for approximately 600 employees of 
the radios.  A multi-disciplinary team in Washington, with 
representatives from State OBO and the Broadcasting Board of 
Governors, is currently evaluating the bids, with a final 
decision planned for early in 2005.  Once a site is selected, 
the Embassy and Czech officials have pledged to use best 
efforts to fast-track the permitting process (an unusually 
tedious and bureaucratic process in this country that can 
easily take up to 12 months).  With this lease extension, 
progress on the RFE/RL relocation once again takes a giant 
step forward, to the satisfaction of all parties concerned. 
 
Visit Prague's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/prague/index. cfm 
CABANISS