USA/Tschechische Republik — Gates Signs Science, Technology Pact with Czech Republic

BRUSSELS, Bel­gium, June 10, 2010 — Defense Sec­re­tary Robert M. Gates and his coun­ter­part from the Czech Repub­lic signed an agree­ment here today that paves the way for the two coun­tries to work togeth­er in devel­op­ing sci­ence and tech­nol­o­gy pro­grams.

In a cer­e­mo­ny held at the U.S. mis­sion to NATO, Gates and Czech Defense Min­is­ter Mar­tin Bar­tak signed doc­u­ments that pro­vide the legal frame­work for engage­ment and coop­er­a­tion in a vari­ety of sci­ence and tech­nol­o­gy projects, includ­ing research, devel­op­ment, test­ing and evaluation. 

“I see this agree­ment as a man­i­fes­ta­tion of our rela­tion­ship with the Czech Repub­lic and our view of the Czech Repub­lic as a val­ued ally,” Gates said at the sign­ing ceremony. 

The mem­o­ran­dum of under­stand­ing means the two coun­tries have agreed on a gen­er­al frame­work that will be fol­lowed by sep­a­rate agree­ments on spe­cif­ic projects. Asked after the cer­e­mo­ny if those future projects include mis­sile defense, Gates said today’s mem­o­ran­dum does not include any spe­cif­ic ini­tia­tives, but that mis­sile defense could be a future project. 

Bar­tak not­ed that the agree­ment cov­ers more than defense-relat­ed research and devel­op­ment. It proves, he said, that coop­er­a­tion between the Unit­ed States and the Czech Repub­lic is ongo­ing, and will continue. 

Source:
U.S. Depart­ment of Defense
Office of the Assis­tant Sec­re­tary of Defense (Pub­lic Affairs)