Minister Naď meets his counterparts from EU Member States in Prague

Over the past two days (29 and 30 August 2022), Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď has taken part in the Informal Meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Prague, Czech Republic. Ministers discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its ramifications for the regions key to European security, the measures to boost the efficiency of defence investments, and the new opportunities for the EU's support to Ukraine.

On the agenda of the meeting, Jaroslav Naď said: “The Russian Federationʼs illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine has a global impact and a wide-reaching regional dimension. Therefore, we are mainly talking about our eastern and southern neighbourhood, with the emphasis on the Western Balkans.” According to Mr Naď, Ministers also focused on the future of the EU's missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Africa's Mali, as well as addressing the situation in Kosovo.

Minister Naď welcomed the proposal to establish the EU Military Advisory and Training Mission Ukraine (EUATM Ukraine). Specific details and aspects of the Mission were presented by High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell at the meeting in Prague. Under the proposal, the EU mission will be temporarily based in one or more EU countries, ideally in Ukraine's neighbourhood.

On the EUATM in Ukraine, Minister Naď said: “I believe this meeting will create a strong political basis for the quick establishment of the mission to provide comprehensive training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The missionʼs exact mandate and scope should be delineated by the needs and requirements of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, following agreement with EU Member States.” He went on to add that in its effort to support the Ukrainian people in the fight against the Russian aggressor, Slovakia is exploring its possibilities for the next tranche of military and materiel aid for Ukraine.

Another part of the discussion was in relation to strengthening the EU's joint procurement efforts in the field of defence. Such efforts aim to bring down the costs of procurement, operation and maintenance of military equipment; to replace the Soviet-era weaponry with allied assets; and to increase the compatibility of capabilities operated by the EU's Armed Forces. In this respect, Slovakia emphasises the need for deeper discussions about the systemic problems in the EU's joint procurement programmes. “Such discussions would help EU Member States share experience and overcome legislative and other constraints on the EUʼs joint procurement in the field of defence,” the Minister added.