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Fico: Shortcomings in Army Equipment to Be Addressed After Crisis
Friday 19 February 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, February 19 (TASR) - When the global economic crisis is over and economic indicators improve, the Slovak army will certainly resume its position as an institution with some level of comfort when it comes to purchasing new equipment, for instance, said Prime Minister Robert Fico following his inspection at the Defence Ministry on Friday.
The Defence and Interior Ministries have been worst-hit by expenditure cuts made by the Government on the back of the crisis.
"Cuts amounting to several billions of Slovak crowns have been made at the Defence Ministry, but its management has retained the ability of the Slovak Armed Forces to fight and operate," said Fico.
"Shortcomings in the provision of required armaments persist in our army in the long term, but unless we overcome the crisis and current social and economic issues, we can't consider allocating funds towards the purchase of special equipment," he added.
When it comes to missions abroad, Fico praised Slovak soldiers, who, according to several evaluations by other armies, rank among the most disciplined. He also welcomed the ministry's tendency to cut the number of missions abroad while at the same time intensifying preparations for the most significant missions.
"We should complete our mission in Kosovo by 2010. Afghanistan remains our priority," added the premier.
After meeting Defence Minister Jaroslav Baska, Fico also claimed that the ministry isn't a target of criticism from the media and Opposition. "This is partly because the ministry's management continues to pursue policies that ensure an extraordinarily high level of trust in the Slovak Armed Forces. All the analyses are testimony to this, as they show trust levels of around 70 percent," he added.
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