Czech Republic, ESA sign space agreement

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, July 8 (UPI) -- The European Space Agency says it has signed an agreement that will lead to the Czech Republic's accession to the ESA Convention.

The space agency said the document was signed Tuesday in Prague by ESA Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain and Czech Republic Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.

Since the early 1990s, the ESA said it has negotiated and concluded framework cooperation agreements with a number of central and eastern European countries. The Czech Republic signed a cooperation agreement with the ESA in 1996, but requested more specific collaboration.

The Czech Republic is now embarking on the ratification procedure that will make it a formal ESA Member State by the end of the year.