Talks on defence cooperation with USA continue

Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry is continuing talks on a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the USA, stated the ministry's press department. Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) said in March that the Ministry would resume talks on the DCA with the main goal of reaching an agreement that will not violate its sovereignty, will not guarantee the presence of the US military in Slovakia and will not force the country into projects that it does not want on its own soil. In April, the government agreed that Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš (Slovak National Party/SNS) would not participate in the talks. The Defence Ministry had argued that signing the agreement would threaten Slovakia's sovereignty. Subsequently, the ministry was criticised by then president Andrej Kiska, as well as by several opposition and coalition MPs, in part because US funding to repair Slovak air bases was set to be included in the agreement.