Pavel defends Czech-US defence agreement

The defence treaty with the United States is an agreement between two countries that in no way diminishes the sovereignty of either of them and saves time that is not available in the event of a crisis, President Petr Pavel stated on Twitter on Wednesday regarding the treaty he signed on Tuesday. He added that neighbouring states, including Hungary, which he described as being very proud of its autonomy and sovereignty, had also signed defence agreements with the US. The president furthermore assured the public that any entry of a soldier from a foreign country onto Czech territory would always be subject to the approval of the government and Parliament.

The Defense Cooperation Agreement sets a legal framework for the possible deployment of US troops on Czech territory in the event of a crisis, dealing with issues from jurisdiction over foreign troops to environmental issues. Criticism during the parliamentary discussion of the treaty came mainly from the opposition SPD party, who said the document is unilaterally beneficial for the United States while Czechia is a subordinate party. Tomio Okamura's party unsuccessfully called for approval of the treaty in a national referendum and for an additional protocol that there would be no American base in the Czech Republic.

However, the document was overwhelmingly approved by both chambers of the Czech Parliament. In the Senate, 66 out of 72 legislators voted in its favour, while in the Lower House, it was supported by 115 out of 144 MPs. The document is still awaiting the signature of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who will sign it after returning from vacation.