A day after NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Slovakia, Slovak Defence Minister Ľubomír Galko issued a statement about the condition of the country’s armed forces, saying it is critical and is starting to threaten Slovakia's credibility among allies, the SITA newswire reported.
“Unfortunately, the situation is so serious that only by exerting every effort can we manage to fulfil our chief priorities,” said Defence Minister Lubomir Galko. “The condition is critical and it needs to be said out loud.”
The minister explained that the main priorities of the armed forces are participation in operations of the international crisis management, protection of Slovakia's air space within NATINADS (NATO Integrated Air Defense System) and tasks of national crisis management, including the aerial search and rescue service.
The minister based his assessments on the recently released comprehensive assessment of the armed forces that showed that the second half of 2010 was especially difficult for the army, requiring implementation of crisis management to secure key tasks and commitments.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Jana Liptáková from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
