"The agreement, in particular, regulates the status of the US Armed Forces, as a party to the agreement, the use of territories and facilities belonging to the Estonian Armed Forces, as well as the right of the US servicemen to construct necessary facilities on the territories provided to them. It also regulates the jurisdiction of enforcement measures against US servicemen and their dependents if they commit misconducts or crimes while in Estonia," the press service said.
The agreement was signed by Estonian Defense Minister Margus Tsahkna and US Ambassador to Tallinn James Melville on January 17. Washington proposed this document in August 2016 in light of US servicemen being deployed to Estonia as part of the Atlantic Resolve mission, which aims to support NATO allies, especially in the Baltics.
The agreement regulates the legal status of members of the US forces, their family members and contractors in Estonia and complements the Agreement on the status of armed forces between NATO member states (NATO SOFA). It replaces the agreement on the use of land plots and structures belonging to the Estonian Defence Forces that was signed with the United States in 2015.
Estonia has previously signed similar agreements with Germany and Kuwait. The United States has signed such agreements with Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, and several other countries.
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