PRAGUE, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The United States has signed a landmark treaty with the Czech Republic on construction of a missile defense radar in the eastern European country, marking a strategic move in Europe.

    The treaty, inked by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg on Tuesday, meant the stationing of foreign troops in the Czech Republic for the first time since the Soviet invasion of 1968.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and her Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg sign the main treaty on the stationing of a U.S. radar base on Czech soil in Prague July 8, 2008. (Xinhua/Ceteka) Photo Gallery>>>

    It also marked another big step in the U.S. global strategy, which was described by Rice as a key treaty of the 21st century, analysts said.

    The United States is planning to build a radar base in the Brdy military district, some 90 km southwest of the Czech capital Prague, along with an interceptor missile base in neighboring Poland.

    Under the treaty signed Tuesday, the United States can deploy up to 250 soldiers in the radar base, with one officer from the Czech Republic. But the U.S. side would be in command of the base and responsible for management.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, on July 8, 2008. Rice arrived here on Tuesday to sign a treaty on the stationing of a U.S. radar base in the East European country with her Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg. . (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The treaty also committed the United States to providing protection for the Czech Republic as a priority in case Europe is under missile attack. In addition, Washington pledged to take full responsibility to shield Czech Republic from any ballistic missile attack in exchange for the country's host of the base.

    The United States plan to build a missile defense radar in Europe dated back to 2006. In early 2007, Washington initiated the negotiation with Prague on the construction of a missile defense radar and the two sides struck a deal in two months ago.

    Leading figures in the Czech government have been embracing the deal despite popular opposition, hoping to reap benefits for the country.

    According to Czech media reports, the United States had agreed to have Czech contractors build the base and provide rear services, which could be worth millions of U.S. dollars. Washington also promised to strengthen cooperation with Prague in the fields of science and technology.

    For the United States, the Czech radar base is an essential part of its global anti-missile system. The U.S. military said that with a radar base in the Czech Republic and an interceptor missile base in neighboring Poland, an anti-missile system is taking shape, which has the Unites States in the center and East Asia and Europe as two wings.

    However, the treaty has angered Russia, which says the U.S. system would undermine its security despite Washington's claim that the missile shield is designed for the protection of most of its European allies from long-range missile threats from "rogue states" such as Iran.

    "If the real deployment of an American strategic missile defense shield begins close to our borders, then we will be forced to react not with diplomatic methods, but with military-technical methods," Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website.

    The signing of the treaty is an important step, but hurdles to the U.S. plan remain as ratification of the treaty by the Czech parliament is not guaranteed.

    The deal with the United States is opposed by the majority of Czech citizens.

    Several hundred people rallied in Prague's Wenceslas Square late Tuesday to protest against the signature of the treaty and opponents threw a tomato at Schwarzenberg outside the Foreign Ministry.

    A recent survey revealed that two thirds of those polled do not support the plan. The major left-wing opposition party has decided to make people's voices heard and made it clear that it would not vote for the treaty in parliament. Several legislators from the ruling coalition have also expressed reservations.