Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna went for his first visit in Brussels after assuming office to attend the NATO Defence Ministerial meeting, the European Foreign Affairs Council – Defence and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG). He also had several bilateral meetings with his colleague Defence Ministers from other countries.
Minister Zůna started his two-day visit of Brussels on Wednesday by participating in the EU Foreign Affairs Council – Defence session that also discussed the future European security and strategic outlook for 2026. Followed upon at subsequent working dinner, the discussion agenda included cooperation on the development of defence industry and innovation with focus on Ukraine.
On Thursday, Defence Minister Zůna attended the session of the North Atlantic Council, whose agenda included the performance on deliverables from the 2025 NATO Summit in the Hague, increasing capacities of Transatlantic defence industries, development of strategic guidance for the next cycle of NATO Defence Planning and the situation in Ukraine.
“The NATO nations agreed on the need to fulfil NATO’s political-military ambitions and deliver the ensuing commitments. There are many overlaps with our Government’s program statement. First, it involves the endeavour to strengthen NATO’s deterrence posture against all potential adversaries, reinforce air defence and counter unmanned aerial systems of all categories. Discussions naturally also covered the acceleration of the defence technological and industrial base, which all nations concur is a high priority requirement, and the Czech Republic can stand a very good example thereof,” Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna commented on the discussions.
On the margins of the session, Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna shortly met with his counterparts from Slovakia, Germany, Hungary and Canada and other NATO officials. The key topics included mutual cooperation and global security issues.
In conclusion of the meetings in Brussels, Minister Jaromír Zůna attended the session of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) and then departed for the Munich Security Conference.
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