THE OUTGOING Mikuláš Dzurinda government approved a request from the United States of America yesterday to use the Slovak Army's training base at Kuchyňa in western Slovakia for air-force training.
The training should begin July 10 and conclude on August 4, and will not cost Slovakia anything, Defense Minister Martin Fedor told the SITA news wire.
America has invested in the Kuchyňa training area, but good relations between the two countries was the deciding factor in granting the request.
American planes should take off from the Aviano Air Base in Italy and land in Kuchyňa, where they will be armed with training ammunition, refueled, and sent back to Italy.
Eight planes will train in Kuchyňa on a daily basis, arriving in two four-member groups. The first group carrying assistance personnel should land in Kuchyňa on July 6.
