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FILE – In this Thursday May 2, 2019 file photo, Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Andrej Babis gives a speech at The Prague 5G Security Conference in Prague, Czech Republic. On Wednesday May 6, 2020 the Czech Republic and the United States signed a joint declaration about their future cooperation on security of the 5G technology. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic and the United States have signed a joint declaration Wednesday for cooperating on security of 5G technology.
The Czech government office said the document was signed remotely by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The signing comes amid a global battle between the U.S. and China’s Huawei, the world’s biggest maker of network infrastructure equipment. Huawei has become the target of U.S. security concerns because of its ties to the Chinese government.
The declaration says that “protecting communications networks from disruption or manipulation, and ensuring the privacy and individual liberties of the citizens of the United States and the Czech Republic, are vital to ensuring that our people are able to take advantage of the tremendous economic opportunities 5G will enable.”
The document also endorses the principles developed by cyber security officials from dozens of countries at a summit in Prague last year to counter threats and ensure the safety of the next generation mobile network.
The Czech Republic’s cyber security watchdog previously warned against the use of products by Huawei and another Chinese telecommunications company, ZTE.