US Ambassador: DCA Not Setting Up Any Permanent Military Bases in Slovakia

Bratislava, January 6 (TASR) - The draft Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Slovakia and the USA doesn’t involve setting up any permanent military bases in Slovakia; the US Armed Forces would be allowed to stay in Slovakia only with Bratislava’s permission, US Ambassador to Slovakia Bridget Brink has claimed in a statement. Brink noted that approval of the DCA is Slovakia’s decision as a sovereign and independent country. "The agreement does not imply and does not allow for the permanent presence of US forces in Slovakia," the ambassador stressed, adding that the document recognises Slovak law and jurisdiction. "The USA has similar agreements with the vast majority of our NATO allies, including Slovakia's neighbours Hungary and Poland," noted Brink. The agreement, she said, is beneficial for both sides and would provide the USA with a legal basis for American investment in joint defence infrastructure in Slovakia. "These investments will benefit Slovakia's own defence capabilities as well as those of its NATO allies. They will also relieve pressure on the Slovak budget so that resources can be used for other domestic priorities," she explained. The DCA between Slovakia and the USA would allow the US Armed Forces to use the Slovak military airports in Malacky-Kuchyna and Sliac, or other facilities and premises that the two sides would agree on. Slovakia would provide them rent-free. The agreement should be valid for ten years. After that, it could remain in force or be terminated with one year's notice. Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) emphasised during the presentation of the document that it is a standard international agreement. He declared that the DCA fully respects Slovakia’s sovereignty. The agreement would allow Slovakia to draw approximately 100 million dollars for modernising defence infrastructure. Any infrastructure built thanks to the resources would remain the property of Slovakia. The agreement has been lambasted recently by both the opposition parliamentary party Smer-SD and the extra-parliamentary Voice-SD. zel/df