Ukraine’s defense minister, Slovak ambassador discuss bilateral cooperation

The meeting was held on March 22, the Ministry’s press service informs.

“The state and prospects of bilateral cooperation were discussed. In particular, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine confirmed the interest in intensifying cooperation between the defense ministries of the two countries. The agreement between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic on military cooperation of April 12, 2011, should become a more effective tool for mutual interests in this area, the minister noted,” reads the statement.

“Slovakia is our neighbor, a good friend and a reliable partner. We are united not only by a common border but also by sincere aspirations for safety for the citizens of our states and the region as a whole. Relations between Ukraine and the Slovak Republic in the defense sphere are of a strategic nature with significant development prospects,” Andriy Taran said.

He informed the Ambassador about the ambitious program of reforms of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine. In this process, according to Andriy Taran, one of the important factors is the establishment of mechanisms for democratic civilian control over the military sphere, the implementation of which will make the transformation of the domestic defense sector irreversible in accordance with the best practices of NATO member states.

The defense minister also stressed that NATO EOP status, granted to Ukraine in June last year, provided for the introduction of new mechanisms for cooperation with both NATO and individual members.

Marek Šafin reaffirmed the invariability of the Slovak Republic's policy to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, noted the progress made in reforming the Ministry of Defense and assured of support for Ukraine's efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities, adopt Euro-Atlantic approaches and standards.

ol