Visegrad MoDs widen scope for joint cooperation
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
24.04.2015 07:45
Defence Ministers of the Visegrad countries – Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary – have called for a more significant role of the regional group within the structures of NATO and the European Union.
Defence Ministers Tomasz Siemoniak of Poland, Martin Stropnicky of the Czech Republic, Martin Glvac of Slovakia and Csaba Hende of Hungary (L-R) sign an agreement during the meeting of Defence Ministers of the Visegrad Group 23.04.2015. Photo: PAP/EPA/CSABA KRIZSAN
Speaking at a meeting of V4 defence ministers in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, Thursday, Poland’s Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said that “it would be worthwhile if our various activities would concur with actions undertaken by NATO and the EU”.
The comments came after the defence ministers signed a number of agreements which are to widen the scope for future military cooperation, incuding a Visegrad Task Force numbering 3,000 troops.
Siemoniak explained that the cooperation would be visible in the creation of NATO’s VJTF (‘Very High Readiness Joint Task Force’, also known as the ‘Spearhead’) as well as the supporting NFIUs (‘NATO Force Integration Units’), as well as the development of NATO’s Multinational Corps Northeast based in Szczecin.
“Our joint aspiration is to increase the defence and political capabilities of the Visegrad Group,” Siemoniak added, saying that in his opinion, “the V4 is a very good example in the realm of defence as well as how mutual trust can result in combined actions”.
Meanwhile, Slovak Defence Minister Martin Glváč also proposed the creation of a ‘single sky’ of the V4 countries.
“We will propose that the prime ministers assign this task to the defence ministers,” Glváč said as quoted by the Prague Post, adding that the four prime ministers would discuss the plan at their talks in June. (jb)