Joint press point with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the President of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman

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.

I truly appreciate the courage and professionalism of your troops. In Kosovo and in Afghanistan, they are making a difference. They are helping to train Afghan soldiers and police in Wardak and Logar provinces and help provide security at Kabul International Airport.

Thanks to our shared efforts, Afghanistan is a different country than it was over a decade ago. For the first time, Afghan forces are taking the lead for security across the country. And we are on track to complete our combat mission at the end of next year.

At the same time we are preparing a new non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan forces after 2014. So that we cement our hard-fought gains. And I count on the continued support of the Czech Republic.

We also discussed your country’s active contribution to keeping NATO’s capabilities strong, and our forces connected. At a time when all our nations face tough budgetary choices, multinational cooperation can help us get more value for money and more security for every euro we spend. And by stepping up our training and exercises, we maintain our forces agile and able to deal with any challenges.

So I appreciate the efforts made by the Czech Republic to meet its commitments to NATO. To hold the line on defence spending during the crisis, and to invest more in defence as our economies start 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.

I thank you for your support. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the busy months to come.