EU Political Directors hold talks on measures to halt COVID-19 and use of armed forces in fight against coronavirus pandemic

Yesterday (29 April 2020), EU Defence Political Directors (DPDs) held talks on security and defence issues regarding the measures in place to combat COVID-19. They also addressed the ongoing PESCO Strategic Review Process. The DPD video conference was attended by Director of the SVK MOD's International Relations Department Július Demetrian.

Topics of discussion included the outcomes of the EU COVID-19 Task Force. This is a platform of the EU defence ministries for sharing information on best practices in assisting the civilian populations during the coronavirus pandemic across the EU. Highlighting the importance of armed forces in the frontline response, J. Demetrian said: "Armed Forces members along with medical professionals and scientists are the faces of the fight against coronavirus."

EU DPDs also discussed the PESCO Strategic Review Process. They took stock of the first implementation phase and prepared the framework for the second implementation phase in the years 2021-25. Slovakia's participation in PESCO has set the conditions for the SVK Armed Forces to ramp up their engagement with armed forces of other EU Member States, for example, on EU missions and operations, as well as aiding the integration of the SVK defence industry into the EU region.

EU DPDs agreed that the pandemic, with its wide-reaching ramifications, will bear on the defence budgets of EU Member States, which, inevitably, calls for reprioritising targets in the field of defence. J. Demetrian noted that "the SVK Government has an ambition to meet the expenditure target of 2% of GDP on defence until 2024." Such funding is key to securing the readiness of the SVK Armed Forces to adapt to the changing security landscape and future emergencies.