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.