State Secretary in Brussels

On 6 – 7 November, the State Secretary of the SVK MoD Miloš Koterec had negotiations in Brussels with NATO representatives on implementation of measures to strengthen the eastern border of the Alliance. With Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary General of NATO, they discussed development of relations between NATO and Russia, namely in the light of development in Ukraine. M. Koterec emphasized a need to augment the presence of the Alliance in those member countries that are most affected by the crisis. He informed the Deputy Secretary General of NATO of the contract on a purchase of the two Spartan aircraft, which has just been signed. A. Vershbow underlined a need to meet the obligations assumed at the Summit, i. e. to enhance defence investments of the Slovak Republic. The State Secretary and the NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning Heinrich Brauss discussed the results achieved in the process of implementation of the Readiness Action Plan, which was approved on NATO Summit in September. With the other representatives of the Alliance he talked about a future NATO mission to Afghanistan and about possibilities of the engagement of the Slovak companies in the Alliance’s procurement processes, and raised the issue of NATO support with respect to the maintenance of capabilities of the SVK Armed Forces.