Kiska: Allies at NATO Summit Confirm Desire for Unity and Solidarity

Brussels/Bratislava, July 11 (TASR-correspondent) – The opening talks of the ongoing NATO summit in Brussels have scattered concerns over serious disputes between the allies and confirmed the desire of NATO members for unity and solidarity, stated Slovak President Andrej Kiska after the end of the first round of talks at the two-day summit of the Alliance.

The president admitted that before the summit there were concerns about the mood and working atmosphere of the negotiations but the first part confirmed the desire for unity and solidarity despite signals of certain contradictions between the allies. “No one has questioned these basic words,” said Kiska.

The Slovak head of state explained that another message was that the allies are connected by common values and if we are able to share them, we can also jointly defend them. He said that one of the first speeches was given by US President Donald Trump, who stressed that his parents come from Europe and that he would do everything for the unity of the Alliance and for defending peace in Europe and the world.

“Trump also touched on the amount of costs that countries spend on defence, and criticised several members that they insufficiently fulfil their commitments. He expressed the wish that these spending be higher,” stated Kiska. According to him, the proposal was very much discussed, and he stressed in his speech that he was proud to have come up with a clear commitment from the Slovak Government to increase defence spending.

“When I started as the president four years ago, our budget moved slightly below one percent [of gross domestic product – GDP]. Since the beginning, I’ve been repeating that we entered the Alliance with a clear commitment that we must fulfil. If all are for one, so one must be for all,” noted the president, specifying that several allies presented similar commitments. This means for Slovakia 1.6 percent of GDP on defence in 2020 and 2 percent of GDP in 2024.