The official reason for the discontinuation of the International Military Education & Training (IMET) programme for Slovenia after 25 years is that the country has reached a high enough level of economic development.
"The final budget has not been confirmed yet. The distribution of IMET funds is contingent on a series of factors, in particular assessment of degree of development and GDP growth of the recipient country," the US embassy in Slovenia told POP TV.
Since independence the US has spent 17 million dollars on training Slovenian troops in the framework of IMET, with 1160 individuals having completed the programme.
The Slovenian Defence Ministry has already been notified that the programme is ending but is not making a big deal out of that, the report says.
Unofficially, however, the US has made it clear that the programme could be extended if Slovenia proved that the soldiers educated in the American system would be deployed to "deter the Russian threats to the West," POP TV said.
The official website of IMET says that the US secretary of state determines which county will participate in IMET.
