After the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, one of the major objectives of the Czech Republic’s foreign policy was to join the Euro-Atlantic security community, namely to become a full NATO member. On the path to its membership, the Czech Republic participated in the Partnership for Peace and joined NATO together with Poland and Hungary on 12 March 1999. The main reason for the Czech Republic’s accession to NATO was to ensure the country’s external security. After joining NATO the Czech Republic has become a part of the strongest political-military organization in the world and thus achieved the highest level of security in its nation’s history. The Czech Republic continues to be a trusted and reliable Ally in line with the obligations stemming from its NATO membership.

The Czech Republic has been standing by Ukraine firmly since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression. It has been sending Ukraine the necessary military equipment, including armoured vehicles and tanks, to defend itself against the Russian aggressor. Currently, there is also an ongoing mission of the European Union (EUMAM) on the Czech territory to train Ukrainian soldiers. At the 2022 NATO Madrid Summit, the Czech Republic supported the practical support of Ukraine and welcomed the introduction of the latest NATO Strategic Concept. This Concept accents collective defence based on a 360-degree approach and serves as a key NATO document for the following decade. The Madrid Summit also brought the establishment of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) with the goal to bolster the Alliance’s technological edge.

The Czech Republic has been actively involved in implementing NATO’s decisions taken at the Wales Summit in September 2014 which responded to a worsening security situation in Europe. In this context, the Alliance adopted the Readiness Action Plan which contains a package of assurance measures aimed at those members who feel threatened. IN addition, the Readiness Action Plan introduces a long-term adaptation of NATO’s force posture in response to the deteriorated security environment. At Warsaw NATO Summit in July 2016, the Alliance made further decisions to enhance its deterrence and defence capabilities, and manifested its readiness to actively participate in projecting stability in the Alliance neighbourhood in the South and the East. Within the framework of the NATO-EU cooperation, the two organizations seek to strengthen their partnership in many areas including maritime security and countering hybrid threats.

We support the NATO policy of defence and deterrence based on a balanced combination of nuclear and conventional capabilities to counter current and future threats. The Czech Republic also recognizes its share of responsibility for security in the Euro-Atlantic area by contributing to a more equitable cost-sharing on collective defence. In this spirit we are committed to gradually increase our defence spending to 1.4% of GDP by 2020. In this spirit, we are committed to gradual increasing our defence spending to 2% of GDP which we plan to have achieved by 2024.

The Czech Republic supports the development of NATO’s partnership with third countries and international organizations on the basis of reciprocity, mutual benefit and pragmatism. With regard to new security challenges, in particular the use of hybrid warfare in the Alliance neighbourhood, we strive for a closer cooperation between NATO and the European Union.

In the process of NATO enlargement, the Czech Republic embraces further convergence of the three existing aspirant countries towards NATO: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine, as embraced in the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration. In April 2023, Finland became a full member of the Alliance. We perceive the enlargement proces as mutually beneficial - the accession of new members strengthens the element of collective defence, extends the stability zone and increases the Alliance’s capacity to respond to possible security crises.

In line with its capabilities and available resources, the Czech Republic participates in NATO-led operations and missions. Since mid-1990s, the Czech Republic has contributed to the stabilization of the Western Balkans region by participating in NATO military operations. Currently, the Czech Republic is present for example in KFOR operation in Kosovo, the NATO Training Mission-Iraq, and as part of NATO multinational battlegroups in Slovakia, Latvia and Lithuania. Czech pilots also conduct air-policing missions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The Czech Republic supports further development of the Alliance’s capabilities in the field of emerging and disruptive technologies. Those include artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum technology, hypersonic missiles, Space and cyberspace, autonomous weapon systems and others. Our priority is the development of NATO’s capabilities to counter hybrid threats, which may include a complex set of military, paramilitary and civilian methods in order to achieve military and political objectives.