The negotiation between Czech and U.S. experts about the access of Czechs to the planned U.S. radar base on Czech soil, conditions of car operation in the radar's surroundings, the use of weapons and the legal status of the base and its staff started in Prague on Tuesday.
The talks at the Czech Defense Ministry will focus on SOFA agreement that defines the legal framework of the radar base and of the possible stay of the base's U.S. staff on Czech territory.
The 10-member team of U.S. negotiators, headed by Jackson McDonald from the U.S. Department of State and the Czech delegation, headed by Ivan Dvorak from the Defense Ministry's defense policy and strategy section, exchanged their positions.
The current talks are to end on Wednesday but further negotiations will continue in the next months, according to the Defense Ministry.
Negotiations about the other agreement, dealing with the conditions and circumstances of the radar's location, were held at the Czech Foreign Ministry last Wednesday.
The delegations, led by Czech deputy foreign minister Tomas Pojar and high-ranking U.S. diplomat John Rood, completed talks on about a half points in the draft agreement.
According to the Czech media, the agreements should enable the Czechs to ask the Americans to remove the radar installation any time.
The radar base should be operated by about 200 people, including 120 U.S. soldiers.
If both sides reach an agreement, the radar would be transported to the Czech Republic from the Marshall Islands, USA.
The United States unveiled its plan in January to place a radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 long-range interceptor missiles in Poland capable of shooting down missiles.
A recent opinion poll showed more than two-thirds of Czech citizens oppose the establishment of the base.
Source: Xinhua
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