A team of negotiators from the United States Department of Defense arrived in Bratislava on April 18, 2018 for two days of discussions aimed at the implementation of a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between the United States and Slovakia. The team of American negotiators will meet with their counterparts at the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense.
The DCA we are currently negotiating will enable expanded defense cooperation between the Slovak Republic and the United States, to include the use of United States European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) funds to upgrade and improve Slovak facilities to better meet Alliance and Slovak needs. These are facilities that the Slovak government has identified as in need of modernization in order to meet the requirements of Slovakia’s own long-term strategic needs. Any facilities that receive upgrades after the conclusion of an agreement will remain the property of the Slovak government.
The United States has DCAs in place with multiple NATO Allies. A DCA will improve the United States’ ability to cooperate with Slovakia as a NATO Ally and as a longstanding friend and partner. It will strengthen Slovakia’s abilities to provide for its own defense and to meet important commitments to the NATO Alliance, which serves as the guarantor of Slovakia’s security and sovereignty. We are confident that we will ultimately reach an agreement with our Slovak partners that protects the security and interests of both the American and Slovak people.
