Slovak and NATO soldiers during a military exercise at the Lešť military training area on April 28, 2022. (source: TASR - Ján Krošlák)
Slovakia's most well-known military training area at Lešť, in central Slovakia, is where soldiers from several NATO countries, including the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, and the US, train on an almost continuous basis. They are charged fees to use the area – but some are proving reluctant to pay up.
During September and October last year, the US Army ordered accommodation and other services from the Lešť training area, which in return issued them with invoices for more than €29,000 for September 2023 and €14,000 for October 2023, reports the Hospodárske Noviny daily.
However, according to the Central Register of Outstanding Receivables of the State, the invoices have not been paid and the debts have risen.
In addition, the US Army was supposed to pay for catering services provided by an external company, amounting to €158,000 for September and €82,000 for October.
As of January, according to the register, the US Army owes the centre more than €202,000. This is not the first time there have been issues with timely payment of invoices. Last year, several invoices were paid late.
Germany too has yet to pay its bills at the training centre: an invoice amounting to more than €169,000 was supposed to be paid by November 24, 2023.
It is not just foreign partners that have problems with paying. Slovak company Hyca, which manufactures truck bodies, owed the centre more than €500,000 and paid late.
The daily reached out to the Defence Ministry, as well as Minister Robert Kaliňák himself, asking how the US Army reacts when pressed for payment. The head of the training centre was also contacted, as were representatives of Hyca. However, none of them responded.
