Slovak and European
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- Date: 10.08.2017
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Building up functional and operational armed forces is an undoubted priority for the current leadership of the SVK MOD. “As Minister of Defence for the Slovak National Party, I want to emphasise that the security of our citizens is of utmost importace to us, and the development and modernisation of the SVK Armed Forces go hand in hand therewith,” said Head of the MOD Peter Gajdoš, following a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Fico on 10 August 2017. At the same time, he highlighted that in this field he has the full support of the Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak National Party, Andrej Danko.
During their meeting, the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister agreed on keeping a pro-European direction, so that Slovakia, also thanks to the steps it has taken in the field of security, can be at the core of the EU. “This autumn the European Union is launching a special programme for the countries interested in broader cooperation in the field of defence. I think we cannot hesitate and it is our obligation to be part of this initiative,” emphasised Prime Minister Robert Fico, while, according to his words, it is important to purchase new assets for the SVK Land Forces, especially 4x4 and 8x8 vehicles. Furthermore, a decision must be taken on the future of Slovak airspace protection.
In this connection, Minister Gajdoš assured Prime Minister Fico that the purchase of military equipment will go ahead in accordance with the document entitled Long-Term Defence Development Plan with Emphasis on Building and Developing the SVK Armed Forces until 2030, which the MOD is to submit to the SVK Government and Parliament for approval. At the same time, he confirmed that the Slovak Republic firmly subscribes to the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. “No way are we going to build the EU Army. On the contrary, as part of our cooperation, we are going to build the capabilities of armed forces, the combat capabilities of the European Union. This means our own Armed Forces must be built first and then we can offer our capabilities to be used as common resources,” emphasised the Minister, while arguing that the SVK Armed Forces should be particularly strong on the capabilities of the SVK Land Forces.
During their meeting, the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister agreed on keeping a pro-European direction, so that Slovakia, also thanks to the steps it has taken in the field of security, can be at the core of the EU. “This autumn the European Union is launching a special programme for the countries interested in broader cooperation in the field of defence. I think we cannot hesitate and it is our obligation to be part of this initiative,” emphasised Prime Minister Robert Fico, while, according to his words, it is important to purchase new assets for the SVK Land Forces, especially 4x4 and 8x8 vehicles. Furthermore, a decision must be taken on the future of Slovak airspace protection.
In this connection, Minister Gajdoš assured Prime Minister Fico that the purchase of military equipment will go ahead in accordance with the document entitled Long-Term Defence Development Plan with Emphasis on Building and Developing the SVK Armed Forces until 2030, which the MOD is to submit to the SVK Government and Parliament for approval. At the same time, he confirmed that the Slovak Republic firmly subscribes to the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. “No way are we going to build the EU Army. On the contrary, as part of our cooperation, we are going to build the capabilities of armed forces, the combat capabilities of the European Union. This means our own Armed Forces must be built first and then we can offer our capabilities to be used as common resources,” emphasised the Minister, while arguing that the SVK Armed Forces should be particularly strong on the capabilities of the SVK Land Forces.
