Czech government approves treaty with US on military research

The Czech government has approved a treaty on co-operating with the United States in the field of military research. If both sides ratify the deal, it will allow Czech scientists to take part in US-funded projects alongside colleagues from America and around a dozen other countries. Speaking after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Czech minister of defence, Martin Barták, said he expected to sign the treaty in the next few weeks. Talks on the research deal began last year, when Washington was still planning to build a radar base in central Bohemia as part of an anti-missile defence system. Mr Barták denied it represented compensation for the US dropping the Czech Republic from its missile defence plans.