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SUMMARYExcerpt from an Interview with theChairman of the Parliamentary Committeefor Defence and Security, RobertKaliňákThe Ministry of Defence is headed bythe newly-appointed minister. How canyou evaluate your co-operation with theministry and the minister?After the new minister was appointed wecould not foresee the way how was he goingto head the ministry. It has to be said thatfrom the very beginning he began to makesome principal decisions, definitely usefulfor Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic.For many years, for example, we hesitatedto chose an adequate strategy regarding airforce. Well, the minister made both right andprompt decision in respect to this, I think.So thus, in your words, the minister seizedhis portfolio accordingly and hasreached already the first results. Thisdefinitely does not mean that therecould not be found any drawbacks orinsufficiences at the ministry.I do not say so. But as a matter of fact,the minister endeavours to solve promptlyany problematic issues jointly with theParliamentary Committee for Defence andSecurity. The Minister submits to the abovecommittee sessions such documents he isn‘tactually obliged to or supposed to submit tothe MPs at all. So thus, the minister performsde facto some kind of extra job regarding theabove-said, positively received. Subsequently,it helps to pass all the laws on floor of theParliament related to strategy, planning andintents. We have to admit that it is positivelymet indeed.On the contrary, in my opinion the ministermade quite a fast decision concerning thereform of the tertiary education system. Ido not share the minister‘s standpoint as Iassume that the Military Air Force Academyin Košice was capable to exist and to performindependently within the regional frameworkfurther. We were not to treat it as the SlovakMilitary Air Force Academy but we couldclassify it within the scope of the VisegradGroup V4, acknowledged as one of the threemilitary air force academies of this kind,being suitable and applicable for training thepilots from other countries. That‘s true thatthere were sporadic problems existing withmanagement and economy of the school butit was not a reason to cut down its futurewith the launched reform. Nevertheless, thereform is ongoing and it‘s the minister whois and will be responsible for it.At the ministry, we can see some specificaspects we supervise and inspect regularlyand we want to solve them. We may say thatthe approach of the minister, State Secretary,Chief of General Headquarters and Headof the Office is always open. Therefore,prior to the moment when respectivelegislative standards become the subjectto the Parliament and/or respective casesare raised, we can solve them at the levelbetween the Committee and the Ministry.The Slovak Republic is behind withadopting the legal rules, compatiblewith the European Union law. Is theMinistry of Defence such a debtoralthough it is prevailingly focused onthe N.A.T.O.?I cannot see any principal discrepanciesand drawbacks as we have been fulfillingall the regulations towards the N.A.T.O.accordingly. Notwithstanding, changesmay occur jointly with alterations of theEU independent security policy what willundoubtedly be the subject to discussionsbetween the European Union membercountries regarding at least the factthat France and Germany are very strictsupporters of independent security policy.On the other hand some countries are afraidof not making the N.A.T.O. function of twokinds. And this is the subject-matter it will bewidely and well-discussed at numerous forain next five years.By 2006, the army of the Slovak Republicshould be fully professional. Do youthink it still remains to be a realisticdeadline?Referring to supervisory function of theCommittee for Defence and Security wemay say that the army will get professionalon 82 per cent this year, i.e., during the nextyear the 100 per cent requirement seemsto be completed. The biggest problemsoccurred concerning lower ranks, i.e., noncommissionedofficers N.C.O.s and enlistedmen, squad, i.e, other ranks which are notso attractive for professional soldiers inthe moment of commencement of theircareer. It is the task for the Ministry ofDefence to be able to occupy the requiredvacancies applying the suitably outlinedjob responsibilities of soldiers. It is not aproblem to occupy the vacancies in easternand central Slovakia. The problem is tofulfil this task in western Slovakia were theaverage wage of a qualified employer ishigher than average wage of a professionalsoldier; and/or some kind of disadvantagescaused with professional service in thearmy. This task is being outlined for nextyear and I believe that we shall succeed tofulfil it so that at the beginning of 2006 thecompulsory military service will be definitelycancelled.O B J E D N Á V K Ana predplatné časopisu euroREPORTna rok 2005Záväzne si objednávame predplatné časopisu euroREPORTpre rok 2005 od čísla 1 - 12/2005 v cene 815 Sk vrátane poštovnéhoMeno a priezvisko (firma):IČO/DRČ:Adresa:tel./fax:Adresa na zasielanie časopisu:82pečiatka a podpisV prípade, že ste predplatiteľom žiadame o potvrdenie objednávky na rok 2005.V prípade, že naďalej nemáte záujem odoberať časopis, oznámte nám túto skutočnosťpísomne alebo telefonicky na tel./fax: 02/544 34 107, tel.: 02/546 40 687-9Adresa na zasielanie písomných objednávok:AKTUAL PRESS s.r.o., Panská 9, 811 01 Bratislava