Slovakia lawmakers approve defense military treaty with US

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s parliament has approved a defense military treaty with the United States. The Defense Cooperation Agreement passed 79-60 in the 150-seat legislature Wednesday in a vote split between lawmakers from the four-party ruling coalition and the opposition. The treaty allows the U.S. military to use two Slovak air force bases for 10 years. Slovakia is a NATO member and will receive $100 million from the U.S. to modernize the bases. The deal was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad on Feb. 3 in Washington. It still needs to be ratified by President Zuzana Caputova who supports it.