Czech-US treaty on radar to be signed by Rice in Prague

The American Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is set to visit Prague in early May to sign a Czech-American agreement on siting a US tracking radar on Czech soil. A spokesperson for the American Embassy made the announcement to journalists, but would not disclose the exact date of the treaty’s signing. There has already been some speculation that the signing of the accord will coincide with a conference on missile defence to start in Prague on May 5. Even after the deal is signed, the treaty will still need to be approved by the Czech Parliament and signed by President Václav Klaus. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has been elected to sign the treaty on behalf of the Czech Republic.