Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď: Slovakia's entry into NATO represents the most significant milestone in the history of the Slovak Ministry of Defence

Congratulating the Slovak Republic and the Armed Forces on reaching their 30th anniversary, top Defence leaders today took part in a formal ceremony and gathering at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in Bratislava. Among those who accepted the invitation to attend from Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď were President of the Slovak Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Slovak Armed Forces Zuzana Čaputová, Prime Minister Eduard Heger, and a number of former Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence. Along with Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko, State Secretary Marian Majer, and Chiefs from all the Armed Forces services, they took stock of SVK Defence over the past three decades.

In his congratulatory speech at the MOD Club, Defence Minister Naď assessed the past 30 years – covering the challenges of the transformation processes, the professionalisation of the Slovak Armed Forces, the suspension of conscription, and the strategic decisions across Defence – as a very successful period, both for the MOD and our country. He gave his personal thanks to all those who have, over the given period, had a role to play in the MOD's “miles-long strides forward, compared to where we were 30 years ago.” He expressed hope for the ongoing trend of investing into building well-trained and combat-ready armed forces to continue into the future.

“Slovakiaʼs entry into NATO represents the most significant milestone in the history of the Slovak Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. It has had a major impact on what is of paramount importance – the defence and security of our country and citizens,” Minister Naď argued. As he reminded us, Slovakia has been a respected, responsible and full-fledged member of the world's strongest military alliance for 18 years already. “And this is not a matter of course. In particular today, we can see what it means when the biggest and strongest defence alliance in the world does not stand with you,” he added, referencing the situation in Ukraine and our country's experience of totalitarian regimes.

On this note, he further pointed to the Allies' support for Ukraine from the very first moment of Russia's aggression against our neighbour, as well as for Slovakia whereas he underlined the NATO Multinational Battlegroup's operational deployment to our country and the protection of the Slovak skies by our Czech and Polish Allies, soon to be joined by Hungary.

In his remarks, Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko gave thanks to all the men and women of the Armed Forces – whether it be those on active duty, in the Reserves or in retirement – for their personal dedication to the defence of the state. He made clear that the high dynamics of all of today's security challenges, both military and non-military, determine the direction that Slovakia must take to generate a modern Armed Forces. “Modernisation and building new capabilities, challenging training, and, of course, educated, resilient, disciplined and motivated service personnel are the right answer to the questions associated with Defenceʼs responsiveness and our countryʼs resilience,” Gen Zmeko emphasised.

In her anniversary speech, President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová noted the great shift in the quality of service the Slovak Armed Forces deliver for defence and security, saying: “I have clearly witnessed that at our joint meetings and on exercises here in Slovakia as well as during my visits to your fellow colleagues who have performed increasingly challenging tasks on missions and operations abroad.” She also remembered to pay tribute to those who have died in the line of duty. Over the past three decades, the Slovak Armed Forces have become, in the words of the President, “a firm component and a stabilising element of our homeland”. She also commended the Armed Forces for the high levels of public trust they enjoy.

Speaking of defence and security in our society, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said: “If we want freedom and the rule of law to persist in our country, we need to ensure the security of our citizens. Already at the time when we were preparing to join NATO, our ambition and understanding of the Armed Forcesʼ importance in light of security were key to the transformation of our military. Particularly at the current time, we come to realise that investing in defence and security, which may otherwise seem to be useless in peace time, is inevitable. Never ever can we forget it, nor give it a lower priority.”