The Prime Minister signed the Czech-American Defense Agreement completing the ratification process

On 16 August 2023, Prime Minister Petr Fiala signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between the Czech Republic and the United States of America after President Petr Pavel. The approval process has thus been completed and the agreement will enter into force 30 days after the confirmatory note by the United States.

“The negotiation of the DCA is a key achievement, we should have had it a long time ago.  It deepens our relations with the USA and its significance can be clearly seen in the fact that the countries joining NATO this year are already negotiating a bilateral agreement with Washington at the same time,”  said Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

Defence Minister Jana Černochová signed the DCA with her American counterpart Lloyd James Austin in Washington on 23 May 2023. “I am glad that the ratification process is completed today. The agreement will contribute to the greater security of the Czech Republic, as transatlantic cooperation is the basis for the collective defence of NATO countries,” said Jana Černochová, adding that the USA has long been a key ally and partner for the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic was the only NATO member from Central and Eastern Europe that did not have this bilateral agreement. The DCA agreement will allow for enhanced cooperation between the Czech and US armed forces, particularly in relation to the defence of NATO's eastern flank, logistical support for allied military activities, strengthening defence infrastructure, increasing interoperability of our armed forces, military education and joint training and exercises.

The agreement does not establish the right to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of the Czech Republic, its purpose is to regulate the legal status of members of the US Armed Forces on the territory of the Czech Republic, if their stay was approved by the Government or Parliament according to the Constitution of the Czech Republic. The DCA does not grant U.S. soldiers permission to reside in the Czech Republic. The agreement also states that any activities of the U.S. Armed Forces on the territory of the Czech Republic will always be carried out on the basis of an agreement between the Czech Republic and the United States and will have to be approved by the Czech side first.

Further information can be found in the press release of the Ministry of Defence (in Czech language).