Rice to sign Czech anti-missile deal

PRAGUE, Czech Republic, July 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to sign a treaty allowing the installation of an anti-missile facility, Czech Republic officials said Saturday.

The Czech government posted Rice's itinerary on its Web site, revealing the treaty to establish a missile defense radar station in the country will be signed Tuesday, Czech Happenings, the online magazine of the Czech News Agency, reported. Rice and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg will sign the treaty in Cernin Palace, the Foreign Ministry's headquarters, the government said.

Also on Rice's agenda is a reception at the U.S. embassy in Prague likely to be attended U.S. Missile Defense Agency chief Henry Obering.

Czech Happenings says the treaty will still require approval by the Czech Parliament and President Vaclav Klaus, adding that negotiations are still ongoing on other matters related to the main treaty.