Fico: Europe Must Become Stronger and More Resilient (2)

Bratislava, 12 May (TASR) - Europe must become stronger and more resilient, even while NATO remains the security foundation for Slovakia and the European Union, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared during the opening of the IDEB Defence & Security 2026 fair at the Bratislava exhibition centre on Einsteinova Street on Tuesday. Several ministers, members of Parliament and foreign delegations from the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia and Vietnam also attended the opening conference. Fico added that he supports Europe's strategic independence and a certain degree of autonomy in security and foreign policy matters. "That means first and foremost building our individual capacity to defend ourselves, which is the basic building block of our collective defence. I believe that difficult discussions lie ahead, dear friends, and I want to express my conviction that this international exhibition will also create room for bold reflections on what comes next; what the new security structure should look like, because it's evident that we are approaching a new European and global security structure," he underlined. Fico also praised the Slovak defence industry. He described Slovak products as world-class, adding that the broad international participation at the fair confirms this. Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) pointed out that the defence technology on display was the result of international cooperation. "Meetings between our foreign partners and our companies have the potential to produce new products that can succeed worldwide. I'm very pleased that our visitors today can also see equipment displayed by our friends from the multinational brigade, which provides and strengthens our defence readiness in Slovakia," he said. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) noted that the Police Corps and the Firefighter and Emergency Service are also exhibiting their equipment at the fair. "The firefighters are presenting robotic systems, drones, mini-submarines and mobile communication technology. The police, in turn, are showcasing specialised capabilities and modern forensic and expert technologies, including 3D crime scene documentation, as well as the readiness of elite units to intervene in the most difficult situations," he said. The minister also stressed the importance of communication within the emergency services. The IDEB Defence & Security 2026 fair is showcasing more than 250 pieces of defence and security equipment at the stands of over 150 exhibitors from 17 countries. The exhibits include Slovak F-16 fighter jets and the new Barak MX air defence system from Israel. The fair will run until Thursday (14 May). NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final six paragraphs mf/df