The USA plans to station the missile defence radar 90 km southwest of Prague.
Negotiations on the main treaty concerning the project are completed, negotiations on the other one, SOFA, are underway. The ministry, which negotiated the main treaty with the U.S. Department of State, today confirmed that the period of notice is one year, and the USA Czechs,USA to sign main radar treaty in July at the latest-Vondra ...
Czech, USA launch another round of talks on SOFA radar treaty ...
Czech authorities ask for info on Liechtenstein bank accounts-web ...
Czechs critical of work of their MEPs-poll ... would have another year to remove the radar base. The ministry keeps the text of the main treaty secret as it is a classified document. According to Aktualne.cz, the treaty sets a one-year period of notice for both the Czech Republic and the USA. The radar base would not be able to operate in the second year after the Czech withdrawal from the project, Aktualne.cz writes. The validity of the agreement can be terminated by either of the two parties one year since a written notice was delivered to the other party through diplomatic channels. After the agreement is terminated, the USA has 12 months to complete the withdrawal of its personnel, equipment and military materiel. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the radar cannot be activated during the withdrawal, Aktualne.cz says, citing the treaty that is reportedly to be signed indefinitely. The treaty says that there will be maximally 250 U.S. troops on Czech territory. Not only Americans are to stay at the base, however, Aktualne.cz writes. The main treaty is to be signed by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and his U.S. counterpart Condoleezza Rice in June or July. The SOFA treaty, dealing with U.S. soldiers' status on Czech territory, has been negotiated by the Czech Defence Ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense. After the two treaties are signed, they will be submitted to Czech parliament. The left-wing opposition says it will not support the radar project. Reservations about it have also been voiced by certain deputies for the governing coalition that has 100 seats in the 200-seat lower house. Most Czechs are opposed to the radar, public opinion polls have shown. The USA wants the radar base, along with interceptor missiles in Poland, to be parts of its missile shield that would protect it and its allies from missiles states such as Iran and North Korea could launch.
(Ceske Noviny)
more info >>
<< Back