Czech President Vaclav Klaus on Tuesday signed the Lisbon Treaty shortly after the country's top court approved the pact, removing the last obstacle to full ratification of the treaty.

"I announce that I signed the Lisbon Treaty at 1500 (1400 GMT) today," Klaus told reporters shortly after the Czech Constitutional Court ruled that the treaty did not contradict the country's constitution.

Klaus, who has been skeptical of the treaty, which is designed to change the workings of the European Union, said he respects the ruling of the Constitutional Court.

Before Klaus signed the pact, it had been approved by all other 26 EU member nations.

Klaus, who likened the treaty and the EU reform to "an unstoppable train," said he would sign it after an EU summit allowed an opt-out for the Czech Republic from the treaty's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

The Czech president made the request over worries of property claims by ethnic Germans stripped of their land and property and expelled after World War II. EU leaders agreed to his demand last week.

With the signing, EU leaders now can proceed with the long-delayed reform process, including appointing a new European Commission, the EU's executive arm, and selecting the first EU president and a powerful foreign affairs representative.