TO jE Môj NázOR - EUROREPORT plus

SummaryActive participation of the ArmedForces of the Slovak Republic in crisismanagement operations under commandof the N.A.T.O., the EU and the U.N.O.is proof of evidence. Defence Ministrymanagement adopted the resolution onthe participation of the Armed Forcesof the Slovak Republic in operationsof international crisis management incompliance with priorities accordingly. Thematter is a region of the Balkan within theoperations of KFOR (NATO) and ALTHEA(EU), Afghanistan in the ISAF operation(NATO) and Cyprus in the UNFICYPoperation (UNO). Recently, the SlovakRepublic was a significant contributor tothe U.N. missions primarily and it has beenhighly appreciated. After the priorities inforeign politics have been reviewed, therewas a change related to both quantity aquality standards concerning Slovakia’scontribution, which occurred primarily infavour of the operations under commandof the N.A.T.O. and the EU.At the present, there is a 196-membercontingent of the Armed Forces of theSlovak Republic acting in the UNFICYPoperation in Cyprus. Ten years after theSlovak Armed Forces terminated theirperformance in the UNDOF mission inthe Golan Heights, whereby the vacatedcapacities moved to the NATO ISAFoperation. The scope of determined goals,character of a conflict and also the operationpace of the ISAF troops generate therequests for the increase of competences.Thus, the requests for contributions ofthe NATO member countries are gettingincreased. Slovakia responded to therequests by the increase of its contributionin one of the most crisis regions of the ISAFoperation in the south of Afghanistan.These steps were highly appreciated by theallies. Within the ISAF operation there iscurrently acting 121 members of the ArmedForces to the extent of multi-functionalunit of engineers acting in Kandahar,sentry unit in Tarin Kowt in the UruzganProvince, the ISAF Headquarters in Kabul,the Regional Headquarters the Southin Kandahar, provincial reconstructionteams of Hungary in Pol-e-Khomri and theHolland in Tarin Kowt, and also withinthe frame of the field hospital in Kabul.Within the context of declared alterationsto the Slovak contribution for ISAF, inSeptember 2008 there was a sentry unitdeployed, consisting of 45 Armed Forcesmembers in the region of the RegionalHeadquarters the South. Next increase ofSlovakia’s contribution for ISAF has beenplanned for December 2008 when anothersentry unit consisting of about fiftyArmed Forces members will be deployed.In March 2009 prospectively, there is restrengtheningof the Slovak contingent inISAF under preparation stage, primarilyto be strengthened by sentry unit, and theadopted mandate of the contribution willnot exceed fifty Armed Forces members.All the measures are perceived by theNATO in a positive way.KFOR operation targeted to strengthenthe security and safety stability in theBalkan region is another significantoperation of the NATO, within the frameof which there is a 139-member Slovakcontingent of the Armed Forces acting. InDecember 2007 Slovakia’s response to theNATO operational requests was expressedby the unit of transport copters deployed,consisting of 35 Armed Forces members.The unit was securing the completion ofair force transportation, reconnaissanceand monitoring tasks to the extent of theKFOR operation. It completed its missionon 16 June 2008. Within the context ofthe crisis management operations undercommand of the EU, Slovakia takes anactive part in the frame of the ALTHEAmission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thereis a sentry platoon of military policeacting, consisting of 35 members, andfour members of the Armed Forces in theEUFOR Headquarters in Sarajevo.■■ The EU intent to build up own ArmedForces has not been pushed through utterly.Why was it so?In this relation it is necessary todistinguish ambitions of some EU membercountries from the EU real purposein its entirety. Prevailing majority ofmember countries is concurrently theNATO members, disposing of sufficientmechanisms designed for guaranteeing thecommon defence. The purpose of the EUneither was, nor is currently to have ownArmed Forces, or such military structuresas they are known to us from the NATO.The goal of the EU defence and securitypolicies is to have functional mechanismsready and also scenarios for the eventualuse of the EU member countries’ forceswithin the operations to the smaller extent.Excerpt from an Interview with GeneralĽubomír Bulík, Commander of theGeneral Armed Forces Headquarters ofthe Slovak Republic■■ What are the basic priorities of the ArmedForces prospectively in near future withregard to tasks resulting from the increasedapplicability of the Armed Forces for broadextent of both traditional and so-called newoperations?The priority will be to keep and to increasegradually the qualification to act in operationsunder command of the NATO and the EU andto stick with peace supporting operations inwhich the Armed Forces perform currently. Toapply the ambition presupposes a readinessto provide the Armed Forces capacities on thelevel of battalion with an entire back-up andprovision. To secure strategic transportation,amelioration of intelligence, information,communication and logistical back-up will beČasopis na prezentáciu Slovenska v Európskej úniian important condition of fast reaction andmobility of the Armed Forces. Concurrently,we increase qualification of the Armed Forcesapplicability within the support of Statebodies, local governments while avoiding,liquidating and removing the consequencesof natural disasters for instance.Within the context of the bindingcommitments declared in the Targets of theForces 2008 (international requirements),in 2009 the Armed Forces of the SlovakRepublic will be taught to get ready to actin the operations of an international crisismanagement thanks to which the SlovakRepublic will get sustainable by more thaneight per cent and deployable by more thantwenty-seven per cent, so thus, we may getcloser to meet the Istanbul criteria.To the extent of operation readiness ofdeclared qualifications of the Armed Forcesof the Slovak Republic in 2009, our target isto reach, and/or to keep the level requestedfor the forces of the N.A.T.O. reaction, theEuropean Union battle teams and forcesof qualification being under preparationstage in compliance with the Targets of theForces (for the forces of high readiness thetransport company, mechanized battalionteam, displacement control team, squadMiG-29 for NATINADS and for the forcesof low readiness mechanized battalion,the EOD platoon and squad Mi-17). Tothe extent of modernization of the ArmedForces of the Slovak Republic we shalllay an emphasis on tracking the defencecomplexity and effectiveness within theframe of economic availability. The aim ofarmament will comply with political andmilitary ambitions of the Slovak Republicand through the mediation of modernand efficient system of armament, theobjective is to provide the Armed Forceswith adequate, accessible and sustainablematerial capacities including the fundsdesigned for development of requiredqualifications for fulfilment of their tasks.Projects targeting modernization of mainkinds of armaments and equipment will beof the utmost priority within armament.Excerpt from an Interview with the Headof Permanent Delegation of the SlovakRepublic at the N.A.T.O. and permanentrepresentative of the Slovak Republic atthe North Atlantic Council, AmbassadorFrantišek KašickýDefence Ministers of the N.A.T.O. member■■countries met in Budapest these days. Whatnegotiation outputs are deemed to beimportant for the Slovak Republic and willyou push them through in Brussels viewingyour position?At a regular informal session, theDefence Ministers have discussed thetopical issues related to the N.A.T.O.operations under progress and the ongoingNorth Atlantic Treaty Organizationtransformation. They adopted numerousNovember 200869