Czech-US military research agreement signed

Czech and United States defence ministers signed a bilateral agreement on military research in Brussels on Thursday. The agreement puts the Czech Republic among a small and select number of countries with whom the US has signed such agreements. The agreement stems from negotiations for the US to site part of its anti-missile defence shield in the Czech Republic, a step which President Barack Obama latter shelved as he re-set relations with Russia. The agreement, signed by Czech defence minister Martin Barták and his US counterpart, Robert Gates, in the margins of a NATO meeting, should allow Czech universities and institutes to seek grants and take part in primarily military, but also civil, research projects.

Author: Chris Johnstone