Slovakia Hosted NATO Security Committee Meeting in Broader Format

Bratislava, 19 September (TASR) - Slovakia hosted a broader meeting of the NATO Security Committee this week from 17-19 September, bringing together representatives of more than 60 countries and organisations, Kristina Petro Garaiova, a spokeswoman with the National Security Authority (NBU) which co-organised the meeting, informed on Friday. ` According to NBU, the meeting confirmed Slovakia's important role within the Alliance and respect among its partners. "The meeting shows that NATO and its partners are able to respond jointly to comprehensive challenges and transform the principle of collective security into practical solutions," said NBU head Roman Konecny, adding that the outcomes from the discussions will contribute towards strengthening NATO's position as a guarantor of stability and security, reinforcing partnerships, and expanding mutual trust. The delegations focused in particular on sharing practices to protect classified information and sought solutions to new threats. According to Garaiova, the discussions were opened by Foreign and European Affairs State Secretary Marek Estok, thus adding a political dimension to the meeting while at the same time underlining the Slovak government's support for cooperation in the area of security policies. Chairman of the NATO Security Committee Galen J. Nace said that partnerships make the Alliance stronger. "We are committed to working with our partners to promote the best security practices to protect our people, information, systems and facilities," he noted. jrg