Press Release
☷Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III Remarks Welcoming Slovak Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak to the Pentagon
U.S. Department of Defense ( By Press Release office)
Mar 15,2024
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Hey there , Mr . Minister! Welcome to the Pentagon and thanks for making the trip . It ' s great to have you here . Our defense relationship with Slovakia has been solid since 1993 , and I ' m glad to see the progress in defense cooperation , especially with the recent purchase of F - 16s . Let ' s chat about our shared security challenges , including supporting Ukraine and strengthening NATO ' s Eastern flank . Looking forward to discussing NATO ' s role in transatlantic security as well . Thanks for your continued support and cooperation over the years , it means a lot to us . And a big shoutout to the multinational battle group that ' s currently stationed in Slovakia . We ' re grateful for your help in resolving the issues there and getting the new infrastructure in place , even though it was a bit rushed . We hope we meet your expectations and appreciate your support in this challenging situation . So , thank you again for your time and for joining us here today . We just came from Greenville yesterday , so we ' re heading back to Slovakia with some F - 16s , which is pretty exciting . ( Laughs ) When they arrive in July , it ' ll be perfect timing for our big celebration in August , marking the 80th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising . I ' m thrilled that the new F - 16s will be part of the ceremony , symbolizing our longstanding cooperation and successful friendship . Thank you . Mr . Minister , welcome to the Pentagon . We ' re thrilled to have you here , and I ' m looking forward to a great discussion . Thanks , everyone .
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