Slovakia and USA want to cooperate on conventional weapons destruction

The Slovak Republic and the United States of America will cooperate on the safe destruction of excess conventional weapons and munitions and on the elimination of safety and security risks posed by such stockpiles, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď and US Ambassador to Slovakia Bridget A. Brink confirmed today by signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States Department of State and the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic regarding Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Assistance.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Strengthening and developing cooperation with NATO partners is one of the basic preconditions for tightening and enhancing our mutual relations – not least it helps to deliver our set tasks and goals. The high costs associated with the safe destruction of conventional weapons, coupled with the difficulty of disposing of them by our own efforts in an environment-friendly manner, represent a real challenge for our country.” Defence Minister Naď used the occasion to thank the United States as a NATO partner for its CWD assistance to Slovakia.

In exchange for the Slovak side destroying some of its stockpiles of aging man-portable air defence missiles, anti-tank guided missiles and munitions, the United States will provide up to US$1 million in aid towards the destruction of the M26 artillery cluster munitions. Having acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), Slovakia is committed to disposing of them by the end of 2023.