President Čaputová broke her silence: A fundamental position on the defense agreement with the USA! – Tops

“As part of the interpretative statement, we tried to capture and explain all the most mentioned, controversial points that are associated with the public. It will be part of the power of attorney I give to the member, and I will ratify the treaty only with this interpretative clause. “ the president declared.

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Source: Topky / Vlado Anjel

The interpretation clause is intended to state, for example, that the agreement will be implemented in a way that does not in any way endanger or limit the sovereignty of the Slovak Republic and does not reduce the security of the Slovak Republic. Also, it does not mean a decision to create a military base in the territory of the Slovak Republic or the presence of US forces. It should also mention that the agreement does not allow the presence of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons in Slovakia. At the same time, the treaty does not constitute a definitive waiver of criminal jurisdiction.

VIDEO Head of the Office of President Metod Špaček on the Amendment to the Defense Agreement with the USA

The head of state considers the treaty to be a standard way to improve defense cooperation with our partners. She emphasized that this was a framework agreement. “I think it would help to have a wider acceptance of this treaty if it were formulated in a way that does not create interpretive misunderstandings. Nevertheless, I support it because I do not think that it threatens the Slovak Republic in any way, rather, on the contrary, “ she noted. She also noted that the comment procedure did not have to take place during the Christmas period.

Should the US reject the interpretation of the agreement, Slovakia is not interested in signing

According to Čaputová, the American side does not have to sign the clause. “It simply came to our notice then. For our part, this will be accompanied by our interpretation in accordance with how the members of the government and I interpret it. So, that’s how we read the contract, what we see there, what we don’t see there. “ she said. Theoretically, according to the head of state, it is possible for the American side to reject the clause. “If he rejects it, then we have no interest in signing the contract, because this is what we insist on in that contract.” she added.

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Source: Topky / Vlado Anjel

According to the President, the interpretation clause is a standard tool, but it is not used in every international agreement. “It is a declaration on our part, as the Slovak side interprets this agreement with the American side. It’s a binding rule of interpretation for us. “ she said. The President also examined the objections raised in the comment procedure with the constitutional lawyers. According to her, however, they lacked a justification, which is also necessary when filing with the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic. She declared that she had not consulted the agreement with the American side.

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Source: Topky / Vlado Anjel

In connection with the announced petition for the referendum on the defense agreement, the President stated that if the petition meets the constitutional requirements, it will issue a referendum in accordance with the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and will respect its results.

The government agreed to conclude a defense cooperation agreement with the United States last week. After signing the document on the basis of the President’s authorization, it must still be approved by the National Council of the Slovak Republic. Ratification by the President is also needed. The agreement should allow the US Armed Forces to use the Malacky-Kuchyna and Sliač military airports, or other agreed facilities and premises. Government officials declared that the agreement does not threaten the sovereignty and sovereignty of the Slovak Republic.

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Source: Topky / Vlado Anjel

The opposition criticizes the agreement and talks about creating US military bases in Slovakia, bringing US troops closer to the Russian border and curtailing the competencies of our state authorities. Several former politicians and the non-parliamentary Hlas-SD called on the head of state to turn to the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic with a defense agreement.

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Source: Topky / Maarty

DCA does not allow US forces to enter Slovakia without its consent, says the US Embassy

The Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Defense between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Government of the United States of America (DCA) does not still establish American bases in Slovakia, nor does it allow American forces to enter Slovakia without consent. This was stated by Tara Hall, a spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Slovakia.

“The agreement will strengthen Slovakia’s position within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Slovakia’s own defense capabilities and allow the country to benefit from US-funded investments in Slovakia’s defense infrastructure. Hall said.

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Source: SITA, / Marko Erd

Defense cooperation is nothing new

According to Hall, Slovak-American defense cooperation is “nothing new” and the new agreement only facilitates this cooperation. According to her, the main intention of the DCA is to strengthen the security of Slovakia. She stressed that the US has similar agreements with the vast majority of other NATO allies, including Slovakia’s neighbors Hungary and Poland.

Tara Hall rejected the arguments of the Slovak opposition that American soldiers operating in Slovakia would not face criminal liability. “This is not true. The DCA’s provisions on jurisdiction are in line with what other NATO allies have agreed bilaterally with the United States. The agreement recognizes Slovak law and jurisdiction, while being in line with NATO agreements on disciplinary action against the armed forces. The NATO Troops Agreements (SOFAs) and, according to the DCA, the United States will work closely with local authorities during investigations and relevant court proceedings. “ stated.

The NY Times article divided our political scene

Helene Cooper, a correspondent for The New York Times (NYT), published an article last week in which she wrote that the United States was considering training Ukrainian insurgents in NATO’s “Eastern Wing”, specifically in Romania, Poland and Slovakia. The chairman of the Slovak opposition party Smer-SD, Robert Fico, indicated that thanks to the DCA, such training would be possible in the territory of the Slovak Republic – which Smer-SD refuses. In response, Hall said there was no link between the DCA and the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

VIDEO Robert Fico talks about Ukrainian insurgents who can be trained in our country, he refers to the American daily

“The DCA has been negotiated for four years. As I said, no American troops will enter Slovakia without the express permission and consent of the Slovak government.” the spokeswoman said, adding that the US Embassy in Slovakia did not see the current discussion on DCA on the Slovak political scene as a problem. He considers a healthy debate to be an essential part of democracy.

The Defense Treaty divides the political scene in Slovakia. While the opposition, led by Smer-SD, claims that the agreement is unfavorable for Slovakia and threatens the country’s sovereignty, government officials reject this claim. The head of state spoke about the agreement with the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic and the Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs.

Text of the declaration at the signing of the Agreement on Defense Cooperation between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Government of the United States of America

The power of attorney for the signing of the agreement is granted by the President of the Slovak Republic with the following interpretative statement:

The conclusion of this agreement will create a legal framework for defense cooperation between the Slovak Republic and the United States of America, while strengthening security and state defense, as well as the effective implementation of Allied commitments and strengthening security guarantees. This interpretative statement does not alter the provisions of the Agreement, does not alter or exclude their legal effects, and is intended to clarify the scope of the obligations under this Agreement and certain of its provisions.

The agreement is an expression of the sovereignty of the Slovak Republic, it will be implemented in a way that does not pose a threat or restriction, and that does not reduce the security of Slovakia and its people.

This agreement is not a decision on the establishment of military bases in the territory of the Slovak Republic, nor a decision on the presence of the armed forces of the United States of America and their members in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Consent to the presence of foreign armed forces on the territory of the Slovak Republic is governed exclusively by the Constitution of the Slovak Republic and, as before, is subject to the decision of the National Council of the Slovak Republic or the Government of the Slovak Republic.

This agreement does not allow the presence of nuclear weapons, biological or chemical weapons in the territory of the Slovak Republic, given that this would be in conflict with the international obligations of the Slovak Republic.

The agreement does not constitute a definitive waiver of criminal jurisdiction. The transfer of criminal jurisdiction to the United States authorities under this Agreement may be revoked in any case and thus the jurisdiction of the Slovak Republic may be exercised. The transfer of criminal jurisdiction to the United States authorities does not imply impunity for perpetrators, and victims of crime must be fully compensated.

All activities carried out under this Agreement shall be interpreted and carried out in a manner that fully respects the sovereignty of the Slovak Republic, its legislation and its international obligations.