Príprava SR na členstvo v NATO - postup na ceste integrácie
Preparation of the Slovak Republic for a Membership in NATO - Advancement on the Integration Way

Author(s): Pavol Zatlkaj
Subject(s): Politics, International relations/trade, Security and defense
Published by: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
Keywords: Slovakia; 2000; NATO; membership; integration;
Summary/Abstract: Result of the Washington Summit in April 1999, which returned Slovakia to the general course of integration, became a challenge and a vast commitment for Slovakia to put through the real preparation for the membership in NATO in the maximum possible extent. Governmental coalition, which resulted from the election in 1998, was aware of the fact, that any vacillation or declarative fulfilment of criteria and requirements formulated in the Membership Action Plan - MAP would inevitably be reflected in our assessment by NATO and it would distinctly decrease our chances to acquire invitation to be a member of the Alliance in the imminent future. Therefore the Government of the Slovak Republic, except of establishing an effective managerial and coordination mechanism for preparation of the Slovak Republic for the membership in NATO, ordinance of The Committee of the Government for Preparation of Slovakia for NATO Membership on the level of Ministers and State Secretaries (GC PRENAME), as well as defining its distinct framework and formulating its objective content, it has supported its domestic preparation for membership by particular steps to support the policy of the Alliance. One could mention, for example, demonstration of courage and political foresight in the time of military operation of NATO in Kosovo, but also attendance of members of the Slovak Armed Forces in missions of SFOR, AFOR and KFOR. The pace and definiteness with which it was possible to excise former deficits in the internal politics were also important. On the basis of these steps Slovakia was not only positively extricated from the isolation of the previous period of time and was classified among real candidates for invitation into NATO, and more countries of the Alliance begun to consider Slovakia as one of possible leaders of the process of enlargement on the side of candidate countries.

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