America’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Douglas Lute, visited Bratislava from December 6-7 to speak with public audiences and government representatives about the importance of the NATO Alliance. He said that NATO member countries represent a political, economic and military force without historical equal, and stressed that all 28 members were committed to each other’s’ defense.
Throughout its 66 years, NATO has been a responsible and transparent organization, and this is now more important than ever as we confront new challenges to our security. These challenges include Russia’s annexation of Crimea, its destabilization efforts in Ukraine, the ongoing civil war in Syria, and the rise of the Islamic State terrorist organization, among others. Ambassador Lute expressed his gratitude for Slovakia’s membership in the NATO Alliance in meetings with Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, Ministry of Defense State Secretary Milos Koterec, and Slovak parliamentarians, and spoke about ways our countries could coordinate even closer on collective defense.
He also participated in a public discussion organized by the Slovak Foreign Policy Association at the University Library in Bratislava, and spoke with members of the Slovak press. The leaders of NATO countries will meet in Warsaw in July 2016 to discuss the Alliance’s priorities and how each of the member countries can work together to create a more secure and stable world.
