On the sidelines of the Bucharest Nine meeting of presidents held in Kosice, eastern Slovakia, on Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was speaking to students at a discussion entitled 'NATO Engages-The 2019 Kosice Dialogue'.
As he said, NATO, which is commemorating the 70th anniversary of its foundation this year, is the most successful military-political alliance in the history of humankind. According to Stoltenberg, there are two reasons behind this success: the fact that NATO members have managed to stand in unity side by side and adapt to new developments in the ever-changing world. Among challenges and tasks facing us in the 21st century, Stoltenberg cited the fight against terrorism, cybersecurity, the development of modern technologies and further investments into defence and security. He also called Russia's violation of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty disconcerting.
The Slovak chief of diplomacy Miroslav Lajčák, also present, called NATO the best and cheapest defence solution for Slovakia. With regards to notions of neutrality, Lajčák asked who would guarantee such a policy. "We can be strong only if we're part of a broader environment, buttressed on principles and values. No better alternative for this country exists than being a trustworthy and reliable NATO and EU member," claimed Lajčák. The Foreign Affairs Minister also confirmed that Slovakia would meet its NATO commitment of investing 2 percent of its GDP into defence in 2022. "It's absolutely inevitable because we need modern armed forces that won't be standing alone but serve as part of a multilateral environment," he added.
