Slovak National Assembly votes to approve military agreement with US
Photo: Radovan Stoklasa / Reuters
The majority of deputies of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Slovakia approved the agreement on military cooperation between the country and the United States. This is reported by the TV channel TA3.
On February 3, the agreement was signed by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nagy. On February 9, 79 deputies voted in favor of the agreement, 60 voted against, and one abstained. Now the document will have to be ratified by Slovak President Zuzana Chaputova.
TV channel TA3 notes that the negotiations on this agreement caused heated debate in the parliament. Even a protest action against the Slovak-American military cooperation gathered in front of the building of the National Assembly. Also, the Prosecutor General of Slovakia, Maros Zilinka, said that the document contains 35 contradictions to national legislation.
According to this agreement, the US Air Force will be able to use the military airfields of Malacky-Kukhinya in the east of the republic and Sliach in its central part free of charge. The contract will be valid for 10 years, and after the end can be extended. Under the agreement, the United States will allocate $100 million to modernize Slovakia's defense infrastructure.
On February 1, former Slovak Prime Minister and leader of the Kurs Social Democracy party, Robert Fico, said that Zuzana Caputova and members of the government were acting under the influence of the United States. Fico appreciated Chaputova's earlier statement about the need to strengthen NATO's eastern flank.
