Secretary General discusses NATO security agenda with Czech President
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen thanked Czech President Miloš Zeman for his country’s commitment to NATO missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo during talks on Thursday (19 September 2013). “The Czech Republic is a valuable Ally. Your contribution to our missions proves your strong commitment and it shows that even in tough economic times, the Czech Republic can be counted upon,” said the Secretary General.
Thanks to shared efforts by Allies and ISAF partners, Afghanistan is a different country than it was over a decade ago, the Secretary General said. NATO, he said, is on track to complete its combat mission at the end of next year and preparing a new non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan forces after 2014. “I count on the continued support of the Czech Republic,” said Mr. Fogh Rasmussen.
The Czech President and the Secretary General also discussed the Czech Republic’s contributions in helping to keep NATO’s capabilities strong and its forces connected. The Secretary General said he appreciated the efforts made by the Czech Republic to hold the line on defence spending during the tough economic times and to invest more in defence as the economy starts to recover. “This is also important to enable Europe to play its full role in crisis-management, as the Czech Republic does. Because a strong Europe also means a strong NATO,” he added.