Ministers hold talks in Brussels
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- Date: 06.03.2017
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Defence devoted their attention to addressing the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in light of the EU's engagement in its neighbourhood and also talked about the progress achieved in the process of implementing the EU Global Strategy (EUGS) in the area of security and defence.
The main theme of the discussions was protecting the EU's strategic interests, in particular in Libya and in the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions. Still open to further solutions are the issues of migration crisis and fight against the threats of terrorism. Yet the EU is interested to contribute to the formation of a “zone of stability” in the region stretching from Mauretania to Somalia so as to disrupt, as part of its preventive measures, mass migration flows towards the north, and hence the potential spread of global terrorism across the European continent.
Ministers paid attention to the EU's engagement in the area of maritime security in the Central Mediterranean and in the Indian Ocean. Ten Slovak Military Police personnel, whom the Slovak Republic will contribute to the European Union's Naval Force – Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia), will be deploying to the EU's southern borders as early as August 2017.
“These days our military policemen are already undergoing intense training for this mission at the Eckenförde Training Facility in Germany. Their specialised training will last well until the end of March,” said Minister Peter Gajdoš. He went on to remind that Slovakia, too, has contributed to the training activities of EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia in the amount of €50,000. The meeting was important especially with regard to the Joint Communication of the European Commission and the European External Action Service on the EU's new strategy for Africa, which is being prepared and set for release in April this year, partly due to the upcoming 5th EU-Africa Summit. This will be held in November 2017 in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast and the security of the Mediterranean is expected to be one of the key issues at the forefront of the EU's agenda.
The main theme of the discussions was protecting the EU's strategic interests, in particular in Libya and in the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions. Still open to further solutions are the issues of migration crisis and fight against the threats of terrorism. Yet the EU is interested to contribute to the formation of a “zone of stability” in the region stretching from Mauretania to Somalia so as to disrupt, as part of its preventive measures, mass migration flows towards the north, and hence the potential spread of global terrorism across the European continent.
Ministers paid attention to the EU's engagement in the area of maritime security in the Central Mediterranean and in the Indian Ocean. Ten Slovak Military Police personnel, whom the Slovak Republic will contribute to the European Union's Naval Force – Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia), will be deploying to the EU's southern borders as early as August 2017.
“These days our military policemen are already undergoing intense training for this mission at the Eckenförde Training Facility in Germany. Their specialised training will last well until the end of March,” said Minister Peter Gajdoš. He went on to remind that Slovakia, too, has contributed to the training activities of EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia in the amount of €50,000. The meeting was important especially with regard to the Joint Communication of the European Commission and the European External Action Service on the EU's new strategy for Africa, which is being prepared and set for release in April this year, partly due to the upcoming 5th EU-Africa Summit. This will be held in November 2017 in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast and the security of the Mediterranean is expected to be one of the key issues at the forefront of the EU's agenda.
