Czech govt. approves U.S. forces deal

The Czech government has approved a treaty with the United States on the deployment of military personnel at radar base near Prague. It is part of the missile defence shield the U.S. is seeking to build in Eastern Europe

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg signed the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) on Tuesday.

Russia strongly opposes the plans and sees the system as a threat to its national security.

Apart from the Czech Republic, parts of the anti-missile shield are also set to be installed in Poland. Warsaw signed the agreement with the U.S. in August.

Both Czech and Polish treaties have yet to be approved by country's parliaments and presidents.