NATO Force Integration Unit Slovakia (NFIU SVK) celebrates 5 years since its establishment

Today (7 September 2021), Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok, Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer, Secretary General of the MOD's Service Office Peter Kozák and Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko attended a ceremony marking 5 years of the NATO Force Integration Unit Slovakia (NFIU SVK) at Vajnory Barracks, Bratislava. In his address, the head of the MOD thanked the NFIU SVK team for their record of achievements and underscored the importance of the goals and tasks they take on.

Speaking at the ceremony, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “The mission of the NFIU SVK is to coordinate the reception, staging, onward movement and integration of allied forces across Slovakia and to ensure support for collective defence with the aim of delivering NATO responsiveness. We are a responsible and reliable NATO partner, as confirmed by the readiness of this unit.”

In his remarks, Commander of the NATO Force Integration Unit Slovakia Col Peter Brauner thanked the Ministry of Defence for its many-sided support to the NFIU SVK and praised the level of cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. “The fifth anniversary of the establishment of the NFIU SVK is not only a historical milestone, but for its members it also represents a commitment to developing the NFIU's capabilities and operational readiness to be capable of addressing the full spectrum of assigned tasks,” added Col Brauner.

The NFIU SVK is staffed by national and international military personnel – members of the SVK Armed Forces and military personnel from Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

The NFIU SVK is one of the six NFIUs operating under Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast (HQ MNC NE) Szczecin, which, as part of the NATO Force Structure, falls under the command of Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum. The NFIU SVK reached Full Operational Capability (FOC) on 1 July 2017 and was recertified on 3 November 2020.