WEBVTT

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With the , it's no trouble ,

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the press conference , the meeting ,

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Mr although the Prime Minister and Jens

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Stoltenberg , the Secretary General of

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NATO , I would like to pass the forward

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to the Prime Minister . Ladies and

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gentlemen , welcome to the office of

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the government . Welcome

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Mr Secretary General Jens stol

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of our government . For me personally ,

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the entry of

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strength , we

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can feel more secure and safe

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and together with the allies . We are

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in a much better position to hybrid

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threats . What we have , what

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we discussed today were burning topics

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to all of us at the very beginning of

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our meeting . I assure the Secretary

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General that this government

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is not going to change our course in

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collaboration with the

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previous

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government , the Atlantic alliance

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in

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terms of

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commitment ,

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we very much appreciate that ,

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secure

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to Ukraine that is defending

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Russia and extend ,

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contribute to bring peace

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for Ukraine . And

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we see

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in this conflict

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next summit in may be interesting .

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We could expect that relations

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between Sweden and Turkey

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that soon we will see the

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ratification

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request to become a member of

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discussions

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and we can or we can provide

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effectively to be a

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member .

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Thank you . Now , I would like to pass

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the floor to Mr Prime Minister and

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thank you for your warm welcome . It's

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a pleasure to be here and thank you for

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a very substantive substantive meeting

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where we discussed all the main issues

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on the NATO agenda as we prepare for

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the upcoming NATO summit . And

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it's also a pleasure to be here in LA

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today as we also discussed the

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preparations for the summit with the B

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nine leaders . Earlier today

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is a committed and a respected NATO

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ally in a more dangerous and

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unpredictable world . Slovak can rely

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on alliance planes , patrol

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your skies to keep you safe . And

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Slovakia hosts a NATO multinational

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battle group to deter any aggression in

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NATO . You are part of a family of 31

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democracies from Europe and North

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America where all decisions are taken

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by consensus and we all protect each

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other . All for one and one for all

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is a defensive alliance . We are there

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not to provoke the conflict but to

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prevent war , preserve peace and the

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peace NATO has ensured for over 70

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years is the foundation for our

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prosperity and our way of life .

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NATO also relies on Slovakia . I

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welcome your commitment to invest 2% of

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GDP on the F this year because

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better defense infrastructure and

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equipment are deterrent to any

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adversary . Russia has shattered

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peace in Europe with its unprovoked

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war of aggression against Ukraine . The

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destruction of the Cocoa Dam today ,

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put thousands of civilians at risk

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and causes severe environmental damage .

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This is an outrageous act which

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demonstrates once again the brutality

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of Russia's war against Ukraine

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NATO is not a party to that war , but

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we help Ukraine uphold its right to

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self defense , which is enshrined in

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the UN Charter . And I thank Slovakia

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for providing significant humanitarian

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and military support to Ukraine . We

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must continue to support Ukraine so it

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can prevail as an independent and

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sovereign state in Europe . Because if

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President Putin wins the message to him

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and to other authoritarian leaders will

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be that they can use force to achieve

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their goals and challenge all the

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neighbors borders that will make all of

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us more vulnerable . At the B nine

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meeting . Today , we prepared a NATO

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summit which will take place in Villus

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in July at that summit . I

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expect allies to agree a multi year

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package of assistance so that Ukraine

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transitions from Soviet era doctrines ,

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training and equipment to NATO

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standards and to help it move closer

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to the alliance . All allies agree

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that nato's door remains open , that

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Ukraine will become a member of NATO .

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And that and that this is a decision

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that only allies and Ukraine can make .

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Russia does not have a right to veto

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NATO enlargement . Prime

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Minister , we also discussed our issues ,

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other issues on the summit agenda

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including further bolstering our

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returns on defense with new defense

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plans , more troops at high redness and

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stronger command and control . This

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will help Slovakia and all allies to

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strengthen their returns and defense

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and make us all more safe and our lines

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stronger . So , thank you again . I

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look forward to continue to work with

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you . Thank you .

