‘We concurred that the world is regrettably not safer and the membership in NATO is the best guarantee of defence,’ Minister Metnar said in a press conference after the meeting. According to the latest NATO assessments, the major threats today are terrorism and Russia and it is into that context where the involvement falls of the GRU in explosions in the Vrbětice ammunition depot.

In his capacity as the most senior NATO military leader, ACM Peach again expressed solidarity with the Czech Republic. ‘The Washington Treaty is now more important than ever. We do not live in an isolated world (…), I would just remind that those were the same agents who caused the explosions in Bulgaria and attacked in Salisbury in the United Kingdom,’ ACM Peach said and pointed out Russia’s attempts to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty, as it denies Ukraine access to the Black Sea. ‘NATO will continue to monitor the situation and expects Russia to cease the staging of its military forces on the borders of Ukraine,’ he emphasised.

Sir Peach thanked Minister Metnar for the participation in the enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltics, where the Czech Republic has deployed around one hundred service members in Lithuania and Latvia. He also valued the involvement of the Czech fighter aircraft in the air defence of the Baltics within the Air Policing mission.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach also underscored the Czech engagement in Afghanistan. According to Minister Metnar, the Czech Republic met the basic tasks in Afghanistan and the multinational units, including ours, have started to withdraw from the country. ‘It will now be up to Afghans to take ownership and responsibility. We seek to carry on providing aid to the country as part of development and humanitarian programs which will, however, be conditioned by the future developments in Afghanistan,’ Minister Metnar stated.

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• Sir Stuart Peach is the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee since June 2018 when he took over from the former Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, General Petr Pavel.
• The official part of the visit commenced with a welcome at the National Memorial on the Vítkov Hill. In the morning, ACM Peach met with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Chairwoman of the Defence Committee of the Chamber of Deputies Ms. Jana Černochová and Chief of General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces General Aleš Opata. During his visit, Sir Peach also honoured the memory of Czech pilots fighting in the RAF during World War II.

Author of the Article: CZ MOD