Minister Naď sees space for stepping up defence and security cooperation with Ukraine

Slovakia is ready to step up security and defence cooperation with Ukraine. The MOD sees a space for this in areas such as defence industry, science and research, and training, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď announced as a member of the official delegation of Prime Minister Eduard Heger to Ukraine.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “I am convinced that the bilateral military technical cooperation with Ukraine has the potential to grow. We can build on the past successful projects, for example, Ukraine's investment in the Slovak-made Božena mine clearance system.” As he clarified, alongside the MOD delivering significant SVK Armed Forces modernisation programmes, it also plans to follow through with science and research projects. According to him, these represent an effective framework for advancing bilateral cooperation.

As a good example of partnership, Minister Naď underlined Slovakia's role of Lead Nation (LN) in the NATO-Ukraine Trust Fund for Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (EOD/C-IED). “This is a mark of solidarity and testament to our capabilities through which we contribute to building trust and security in the region,” said the Minister, noting that the project is entering its final phase and will be successfully concluded this summer.

Defence Minister Naď plans to make an official visit to Kyiv this August to pay tribute to the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, while SVK armed forces, including SVK Air Force C-27J Spartan transport aircraft and UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, will take part in a military parade to mark Ukraine's Independence Day.