Joint press statements by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the Czech Prime Minister, Petr Fiala

Prime Minister Fiala,
Dear Petr,

It is great to see you again,
And it's great to be here in the beautiful city of Prague.

The Czech Republic is a reliable and strong and highly valued NATO Ally.

And not least because this year, you will spend more than 2% percent of GDP on defence.

You lead NATO's battlegroup in Slovakia.
And you contribute forces to our battlegroups in Latvia and Lithuania, helping to deter any aggression.

Your forces also serve in NATO missions in Kosovo and Iraq.
In response to Russia's brutal war of aggression, you have also stepped support to Ukraine.

Czechia hosts hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees.

You provide critical military equipment to Ukraine, including tanks, helicopters and air defence missiles.

And the Czech-led ammunition initiative is providing more artillery shells for Ukraine.
And you updated me on the initiative during our meeting, and I can just say that this is of great importance.
It's really making a difference.
And it's very good news that the first delivery of artillery shells will happen very soon and there will be a continued flow of ammunition into Ukraine, organised by the Czech ammunition initiative.
So many, many thanks for everything you do,
But in particular, many thanks for the very important work you have done in establishing the Czech-led ammunition initiative.

Let me also thank you for hosting tomorrow's informal Meeting of NATO's Foreign Ministers.
It will be an important moment to continue preparing for the upcoming Summit in Washington.

When leaders meet in July, we will take further steps to invest in our security, strengthen ties with partners, and bolster our support to Ukraine.

Ukraine continues to fight bravely, but the challenges they face are greater and growing. Ukraine can still prevail - but only with continued, robust support from NATO Allies.

So at the NATO Summit in July, we plan to put our support on a firmer footing.
Including with a greater NATO role in coordinating security assistance and training, as well as a multi-year financial commitment.

We also plan to work even more closely with our Indo-Pacific partners: Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.
Including on technology, cyber, and countering hybrid threats.

At our ministerial, the Foreign Ministerial Meeting tomorrow, we will also discuss how to address instability in our southern neighbourhood, including the continuing threat of terrorism.

So Prime Minister Fiala,
Thank you again for your hospitality.

I look forward to a successful ministerial meeting here in Prague,
And a successful Washington Summit in just six weeks' time from now.
So, thank you so much for hosting.

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