Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď welcomes Sweden's decision to join NATO

Today (5 June 2022), Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď welcomed Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Sweden Peter Hultqvist to Slovakia with a Guard of Honour at the Ministry of Defence in Bratislava. In their bilateral meeting, they explored a range of topical themes – Russia's invasion of Ukraine, SVK-SWE bilateral defence ties including armaments cooperation, and Finland and Sweden's pathway to NATO.

On the Nordic countries seeking membership in the Alliance, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Iʼm very delighted that Sweden and Finland have made the decision to join the North Atlantic Alliance. We highly appreciate this historic step – not only politically, but also militarily. Indeed, the substantial capabilities Sweden brings will boost the Allianceʼs ability to deliver collective defence and deterrence.”

At the meeting, both ministers identified closer bilateral cooperation opportunities, to include military-to-military education and training programmes, the deepening of interoperability, the sharing of expertise from regional defence and security structures – the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) and the Visegrad Four (V4).