Slovakia marks 18th anniversary of its entry into NATO, while being protected by NATO's collective defence against backdrop of Russia's unprecedented aggression

Today exactly 18 years ago, on 29 March 2004, Slovakia became a full-fledged member of the world's largest and strongest defence alliance.

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Of the past 18 years, especially over the recent weeks we have increasingly felt how important from the perspective of security guarantees it is that we joined the North Atlantic Alliance. Although Slovakia is not being threatened directly, it has been confronted with the biggest security challenges since the country’s establishment. Ultimately, we and our Allies stand together on the right side of history and our position on the Russian aggressor is clear and united.”

The head of the MOD emphasised that Slovakia has become a reliable and well-respected NATO Member State since its integration into the Alliance's structures, adding: “Under the principle of “One for All, All for One”, for us, NATO is a guarantee that one day we will not wake up in the morning just like our Ukrainian neighbours did on 24 February. In this spirit, a clear sign of these defensive security guarantees is the stand-up of NATO's multinational enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup in Slovak territory, which demonstrates our cohesion and readiness to defend ourselves together against any threats – and this is consistent with Slovakia’s security interests and strategic documents which clearly set out our foreign policy and security direction.”

Minister Naď extended his thanks to the Allies for their willingness and resolve to bolster NATO's eastern flank, stressing that, through its responsible approach and delivery of international commitments, Slovakia has gradually joined other countries in contributing to the collective defence and security of NATO Member States over the past 18 years.