Ľuboš Blaha (source: Sme)
The security strategy that Slovakia currently has in place was written in 2005. In the same year, the presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin met in Bratislava for their summit. Not long before then, Slovakia had fulfilled its ambition of becoming a member state first of NATO and then the EU.
Since then, the security environment has changed dramatically, including the armed conflict in Ukraine and the Russian annexation of Crimea. The world is now dealing with completely new challenges posed by environmental issues, hybrid war and cybersecurity.
All this, including local political events, “confirms that passing the updated documents stressing Slovakia’s anchorage in the EU and stronger transatlantic partnership within NATO should be an absolute priority and the only alternative of everyone who cares about the values and the security position of our country and its citizens,” the signatories of an open letter to the MPs stated back in December 5, 2018.
The open letter, signed by Slovakia’s leading foreign policy and security experts, including people from think tanks like Globsec, MEMO98 and Stratpol, responded to yet another postponement of the parliament’s passing of updated strategic documents: the Security Strategy and the Defence Strategy of the Slovak Republic. In their open letter, the signatories call on lawmakers to pass the two papers as the cornerstones defining the values and security interests of the country.
The ruling cabinet and the Security Council have both approved the documents. The green light from the parliament is all that is missing for the documents to become valid.
