The agreement on defense cooperation with the United States does not pose a threat to the Czech Republic, on the contrary, it will save time in case of a potential crisis, Czech President Petr Pavel said on Wednesday
PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd August, 2023) The agreement on defense cooperation with the United States does not pose a threat to the Czech Republic, on the contrary, it will save time in case of a potential crisis, Czech President Petr Pavel said on Wednesday.
The document faced opposition in parliament, with some lawmakers demanding that it was presented to a national referendum. However, the ruling coalition with the support of other opposition leaders managed to get the agreement through both chambers of parliament. On Tuesday, Pavel signed the agreement, completing its ratification.
"The defense agreement between the Czech Republic and the US is not something we should be afraid of. Thanks to it, clear conditions are created for the presence of US military personnel on our territory, we also save time, which will be limited in the event of a potential crisis," Pavel tweeted.
He noted that the arrival of a foreign soldier at the Czech territory will only occur with the consent of the government and the parliament of the republic. The agreement with the United States, he said, only regulates the administrative, legal, insurance, financial and other conditions for the stay of US military personnel in the Czech Republic.
"We do not live in a safe world. We must rely on allied relations. Our strongest and most capable ally is the United States. Neighboring states, except for Austria, which is not a member of NATO, also have agreements (with the US). Even Hungary, which emphasizes its autonomy and sovereignty, signed a (similar) agreement," Pavel said in a video attached to the tweet.
The agreement on defense cooperation with the United States does not include any provisions on stationing US soldiers or establishing a military base in the Czech Republic. The document also does not provide for the deployment of nuclear weapons in the country. The agreement, among other things, is intended to facilitate the emergency arrival of US troops at the national territory in case of an urgent need.
To date, 24 NATO member states have signed defense cooperation agreements with the United States. Denmark and Finland currently negotiating such agreement with Washington.
