Press Advisories

22. 3. 201816:17

Premier Babiš met with the Secretary General of NATO, Mr Stoltenberg

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš met on Thursday 22 March 2018 with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the seat of the Alliance in Brussels. They discussed cooperation of NATO with the European Union and problems related to migration.

"It was a very interesting meeting and talk. We discussed, among other things, the intensification of cooperation between NATO and the European Union and we agreed that it is necessary for all defence initiatives that arise within the European Union to complement the activities of NATO. Of course we also spoke about the fact that if NATO wants to remain credible, it must be able to address the main concerns of our citizens about their safety," said Premier Babiš after the meeting.

According to Premier Babiš, it is necessary to stabilise the situation in particular in the Middle East and in North Africa where problems related to migration and terrorism arise.

Jens Stoltenberg is the first Norwegian Secretary General of the Alliance. He assumed office in October 2014 and last year his mandate was extended until September 2020. His long-term priorities include intensification of NATO-EU cooperation, he also promotes institutional reforms of the NATO system in order to improve the effectiveness of the funds spent and the functioning of the organisation. The last time the NATO Secretary General met with a Czech prime minister was in 2015 when he paid a two-day visit to the Czech Republic. Then, he also met with A. Babiš who was the Minister of Finance at the time.

The Czech Republic is a reliable ally and considers NATO and the system of collective defence to be the cornerstone of Czech security. At present, the Czech Republic is increasing its defence expenditure that should reach 1.4% of GDP by 2020, and 2% of GDP by 2024. Thanks to the growing budget, more investment is also flowing into the development of Czech military capabilities, including the recruitment of new soldiers. Apart from that, the Czech Republic takes part in foreign missions, e.g. in Afghanistan or Iran, it contributes to the NATO Response Force or to strengthening the eastern flank of the Alliance with its presence in the Baltic Region.