Masaryk university
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Slovak-US RelationsRelations between the Slovak Republic and the USA did not develop smoothly after the separation and throughout the term of Mečiar’s government from 1993-1998. Instead, the relationship was characterized by criticism, and not the constructive cooperation and investment apparent in the relationship between the Czech Republic and the USA. After Slovakia gained independence, the USA offered it the same chance at NATO membership as the other Visegrad 4 countries. Between 1993 and 1994, US Congress included Slovakia on the list of candidate countries to the alliance. For example, US Congress passed the NATO Participation Act, which included Slovakia along with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland as a country that NATO allies should consider for membership.61 In 1994, Slovakia was active in the PfP and increased the amount allocated to the program from 1% of the defense budget to 4.5%.62 However by 1995, the USA sent a demarche expressing concern related to some events which occurred in Slovakia and questioned the country’s commitment to democratic principles. These events included the ongoing conflict between the Prime Minister Mečiar and President Michal Kováč, the politically motivated kidnapping of the president’s son in 1995 and lack of representation of the opposition in important parliamentary functions that control domestic and military intelligence or public media.63 The Slovak Republic was also excluded from a 60 million USD aid package offered to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland under the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act which assisted in the further integration of these countries into NATO.64 At the 1997 NATO Madrid Summit, not only was Slovakia not offered to begin accession negotiations as the other Visegrad Four countries were, it was not even mentioned among the second wave of candidate states.65 By the end of Mečiar’s rule, several different representatives of the USA on all levels had criticized Slovakia’s failed transition to democracy. Madeline Albright, US Secretary of State, had labeled Slovakia a “black hole in the heart of Europe”.66 After the announcement in Madrid, Albright and William Cohen, US Secretary of Defense, visited individual NATO candidate countries to express their support for further integration. They did not include Slovakia on their tour.67 James Foley, speaker of the US State Department, criticized Slovakia for not respecting verdicts from its Constitutional Court and for violating the rights of a Slovak member of parliament, František Gaulieder, who was stripped of his parliamentary mandate against his will.68 The US Congress Committee for Security and Cooperation in Europe sent a letter to Mečiar which stated that by granting amnesty to the accused kidnappers of the president’s son, Mečiar had demonstrated that he was connected to the crime. An advisor to Bill Clinton also sent a letter expressing his concern about a new controversial election law that would benefit Mečiar’s political party HZDS with the introduction of a single constituency law.69 Between 1998 and 2006, relations with the USA began to warm due to the change in government in Slovakia now led by Mikuláš Dzurinda. America welcomed this new government and James Foley, speaker of the US State Department, stated: “The elections were an unambiguous expression of the Slovak people’s desire for democracy”70 The SDK government put an end to the period where the USA openly criticized Slovakia and maintained minimal relations with it. The relationship transformed from one filled with political confrontation to constructive cooperation and in 2000, the USA announced its support for the new government. Both Clinton and Albright praised the implemented pro-democratic and economic reforms. US Congress and Senate in a joint resolution also commended Dzurinda’s government for adherence to democratic principles, the realization of a democratic parliament and presidential elections, protection of human rights regardless of ethnicity and a commitment to transatlantic integration. 71 During Dzurinda’s government the major issues in Slovak-US relations were NATO membership, Kosovo, 9/11 terrorist attack and the US-led operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Concerning Kosovo, Dzurinda’s government allowed NATO access to Slovakia’s airspace, transit of military equipment and personnel through its territory, and joined the EU oil embargo in former Yugoslavia.72 Since 1999, Slovakia has maintained a military presence in Kosovo and supported NATO operations KFOR. In 2002, Slovakia contributed 100 troops to a Czech-Slovak battalion in Kosovo.73 Further signs of increased cooperation were the numerous contacts between the two countries; Clinton met with Dzurinda twice, US First Lady Hilary Clinton and Albright also visited Slovakia.74 After the 9/11 terrorist attack in the USA, the Slovak government declared their willingness to aid America and join in the anti-terrorist operation by offering it logistical support such as opening Slovak airspace and transit rights for US military personal and equipment. In 2002, at the NATO Prague summit, Slovakia was invited to begin membership negotiations. In the same year, Slovak President Robert Schuster spoke with US President George Bush concerning the possibility of Slovak participation in the Afghanistan operation “Enduring Freedom”. This proposal was supported by the Slovak parliament and the country sent 50 engineers and airfield maintenance specialists under NATO’s ISAF operation.75 By 2006, there were around 200 Slovak soldiers in NATO missions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq. Another 103 soldiers were part of the US led coalition in the operation Iraqi Freedom.76 In January 2003, the USA verbally requested Slovakia to consider joining the effort to remove Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, including massive military engagement.77 Within a few days the Slovak parliament had approved an Iraqi mission and contributed a chemical company responsible for humanitarian tasks and supplied an engineering company composed of 75 soldiers.78 In 2004, Slovak parliament approved increasing the contingent in Iraq to 105 soldiers. In 2005, Slovakia hosted the Bush-Putin summit in Bratislava, which only emphasized the improved relations between the countries during the period of Dzurinda’s government. In 2006, Fico’s coalition government assumed power and a new stage in Slovak foreign policy began. The leader and new Prime Minister Fico had been a permanent critic of US foreign policy and official relations would not develop much during his administration.79 Two themes were dominant in Slovak-US relations; the war in Iraq and the visa requirements to the USA. Soon after winning the elections, Fico announced that Slovakia would withdraw its troops from the US led operations in Iraq. Slovak soldiers began to pull out in the beginning of 2007. Visa requirements for Slovak citizens travelling to the US were abolished in 2008. This had been an important issue in Slovak-US relations since the year 2004.80 Some of the arguments for a revision of the visa regime were Slovakia’s membership in the EU and NATO, its inclusion in the Schengen area and that Slovakia represents a clear ally of the USA in the region.81 It was during the George Bush administration in 2004 that the president described the visa regime towards Central European countries as out-dated82 as it had not been revised or enlarged since 1999.83 The fact that Slovakia was accepted into the Visa Waiver Program, along with the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and South Korea was one enlargement where the country succeeded in making the first round. Slovak-US relations were cool during the period after Mečiar’s election and the United States often criticized the democratic developments in the country. Relations began to strengthen with the election of a pro-West government. Slovakia began to support NATO and US-led initiatives. A small change was perceived with the election of Fico’s government who organized the withdrawal of Slovak troops from Iraq.
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