EU Military Committee Chairman visits Slovakia

Upon invitation by Chief of the Defence Staff Lt Gen Milan Maxim, Gen Patrick de Rousiers, Chairman of the European Union Military Committee, visited Slovakia. Top on the agenda of talks with the SVK Chief of the Defence Staff were the EU´s security and defence policy issues, the SVK Armed Forces´ engagement in crisis management operations and the EU Member State´s cooperation options in the field of defence capabilities development. Gen Patrick de Rousiers was updated on the preparation of the V4 Battle Group declared for deployment as part of the EU Rapid Reaction Force, which is to be on stand-by in the first half of 2016. Slovakia is to assume the lead role in the field of chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) protection. The Chairman of the European Union Military Committee gave a briefing entitled the EU Common Security and Defence Policy in the Context of the EU Council's Session in December 2013 at the premises of the Ministry of Defence. On Friday, Gen Patrick de Rousiers made a tour of the Training Centre Lešť and visited Airfield Sliač.