Slovak delegation receives authorisation from Slovak President to sign U.S.-SVK Defense Cooperation Agreement
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- Date: 31.01.2022
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A Slovak delegation, led by Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď and Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok, is due to depart for the United States of America still this week.
The aim of the Slovak delegation's visit to the USA is to sign the Agreement on Defense Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Slovak Republic, as Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová has given a Government member the authorisation to sign. The DCA is expected to be signed on Thursday 3 February 2022.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “We are very much grateful to all the responsible people and politicians who are conscious of the justification and need for this Agreement to seek closer cooperation with our strategic partner in the field of defence and security. It is a responsible step and a strong message of Slovakia's direction.”
Minister Naď has declined to link the DCA negotiations and approval process to the current situation on the border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. “The current wording of the Defense Cooperation Agreement is the outcome of years-long expert negotiations between both sides, which experts from across several departments have prepared over more than the past four years,” he explained.
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok noted that “the signing of the Agreement is an expression of U.S. and Slovakia’s interest in cooperating together in the field of defence under bilaterally agreed conditions. This fits into our Armed Forces’ efforts to bolster up the defence capability of Slovakia and NATO.”
Both ministers stated that the Agreement fully respects Slovakia's sovereignty, Constitution and laws. They refuse that the Agreement would be a prerequisite for a permanent presence of U.S. forces or the deployment of nuclear weapons in Slovak territory. “The disinformation campaign that has accompanied the Agreement has been intense and directed at inciting the strongest of human emotions. All this scaremongering has been absolutely useless,” confirmed Minister Naď.
The U.S.-SVK DCA has been greenlighted by the SVK Government and Security Council. After the DCA is signed by both parties, the Agreement still requires formal approval from Parliament before being ratified by the president.
The aim of the Slovak delegation's visit to the USA is to sign the Agreement on Defense Cooperation between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Slovak Republic, as Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová has given a Government member the authorisation to sign. The DCA is expected to be signed on Thursday 3 February 2022.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “We are very much grateful to all the responsible people and politicians who are conscious of the justification and need for this Agreement to seek closer cooperation with our strategic partner in the field of defence and security. It is a responsible step and a strong message of Slovakia's direction.”
Minister Naď has declined to link the DCA negotiations and approval process to the current situation on the border between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. “The current wording of the Defense Cooperation Agreement is the outcome of years-long expert negotiations between both sides, which experts from across several departments have prepared over more than the past four years,” he explained.
Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok noted that “the signing of the Agreement is an expression of U.S. and Slovakia’s interest in cooperating together in the field of defence under bilaterally agreed conditions. This fits into our Armed Forces’ efforts to bolster up the defence capability of Slovakia and NATO.”
Both ministers stated that the Agreement fully respects Slovakia's sovereignty, Constitution and laws. They refuse that the Agreement would be a prerequisite for a permanent presence of U.S. forces or the deployment of nuclear weapons in Slovak territory. “The disinformation campaign that has accompanied the Agreement has been intense and directed at inciting the strongest of human emotions. All this scaremongering has been absolutely useless,” confirmed Minister Naď.
The U.S.-SVK DCA has been greenlighted by the SVK Government and Security Council. After the DCA is signed by both parties, the Agreement still requires formal approval from Parliament before being ratified by the president.
