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Bulik: Slovak Army Now Modern and Operational Under NATO
Sunday 28 March 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, March 28 (TASR) - Slovakia's six years as a member of NATO have brought some significant changes in terms of the military and the way it operates, Chief-of-General-Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Lubomir Bulik told TASR on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of Slovakia's entry into the Alliance (March 29).
"Perhaps the most important move can be seen in the building of fully voluntary and professional armed forces, now able to respond to any threat in an appropriate way," said Bulik.
He stressed that Slovakia's participation in peacekeeping and observation missions is also an important step forward. "Currently, we have 621 men and women on missions abroad," said Bulik. Of these, 196 are serving on the UN-led mission in Cyprus and 242 are on the ISAF mission in Afghanistan (which is viewed as the most comprehensive and perhaps the most important of all missions, according to Bulik). Slovakia is also taking part in the mission in Kosovo (140 soldiers), and 45 Slovaks are serving on the ALTHEA mission in Bosna and Herzegovina.
"The changes have been really dramatic when it comes to the improved capabilities of the Slovak Armed Forces," thinks Bulik, adding that the country's armed forces have switched from being so-called static forces, trained to defend their own territory, into a modern operational structure, capable of carrying out tasks according to needs.
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