The Czech Republic and the United States may conclude their negotiations on the SOFA (Strategic Framework and the Status of Forces Agreement) bilateral treaty that specifies a legal framework for the stay of US soldiers on Czech soil in April, a newspaper reported Monday.
Another round of the negotiations on the SOFA agreement will take place from April 9-11, and the negotiations may conclude in April, the Lidovy Noviny newspaper quoted an official with the Czech Defense Ministry as saying.
The question of jurisdiction at the planned US radar base in the Czech Republic is almost resolved, the newspaper said.
"The question of jurisdiction is almost resolved. It does not much differ from the existing regulation within NATO, therefore we are satisfied," a Czech source close to the negotiations was quoted as saying.
US soldiers serving at the planned radar base in the Czech Republic would fall under US jurisdiction while on duty, but would be accountable to the Czech law and courts if they commit a crime while not on duty, the paper said.
The United States plans to build a radar base in the Brdy military district, some 90 km southwest of the capital Prague, along with an interceptor missile base in neighboring Poland.
Russia and some 70 percent of Czech citizens are opposed to the project.
(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2008)
