Daily: Rice to sign radar treaty on July 8

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will come to Prague on July 8 to sign a treaty with the Czech Republic on the location of an American radar base in central Bohemia, Mladá fronta Dnes reported. The newspaper said the date had been confirmed by two members of the Czech government. Ms Rice had previously postponed a visit to Prague to sign the document, which has yet to be approved by the Czech Parliament. Negotiations on a second treaty on various technical aspects of the base have not yet been completed.

The US radar base would be part of a global anti-missile shield. Polls have consistently shown around two thirds of Czechs are opposed to the building of the base. Opponents have said they will hold protests during the secretary of state’s visit, the details of which are being kept under wraps.

Author: Ian Willoughby