Schwarzenberg (for Greens, SZ) said the SOFA treaty might be completed at the meeting of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek (Civic Democrats, ODS) and Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) to take place on Thursday, August 28. The United States plans to build a radar base in the Czech Republic and a base Georgia and Russia exchange prisoners ...
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State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and her Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg signed the main treaty on the U.S. radar on Czech soil in early July. The radar treaties are yet to be ratified by the Czech parliament. However, with regard to the division of forces in the lower house, it is not certain that deputies pass the radar treaties. The junior ruling Greens (SZ) do not have a united stance on the base. The leftist opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) and the Communists (KSCM) are against the project and most Czechs also oppose it, according to polls. Schwarzenberg said the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) dealing with U.S. soldiers' status on Czech territory had been almost completely negotiated so it might be ready during Topolanek's visit to the Defence Ministry on Thursday. SOFA was originally to be competed this autumn. However, Schwarzenberg rejected the opinion that the treaty's completion had been accelerated by the Russian-Georgian conflict. "The radar that is to be placed in our country has nothing to do with the Russian Federation. It is aimed in a completely different direction. I would never mix up the matters that are not connected with one another," said Schwarzenberg, adding that the Czech Republic had signed the main bilateral treaty on the radar base before the conflict in the Caucasus erupted. Russian forces invaded Georgia in early August after Tbilisi attempted to regain control of the pro-Russian province of South Ossetia. Chamber of Deputies foreign committee head Jan Hamacek (CSSD) said the Russian-Georgian conflict had not changed the Social Democrats' view of the radar. The CSSD insists on a referendum to be held on the issue and wants the radar to operate under NATO, Hamacek added.
(Ceske Noviny)
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