V4 countries celebrate NATO anniversary in Warsaw

The V4 leaders on Sunday morning have met soldiers of the 1st Armoured Brigade in Warsaw.

During the meeting, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said that “today we cannot imagine NATO without our countries.”

“We are supporting each other and we make up a community, which guarantees safety,” he added.

Błaszczak also said that the troops from the 1st Armoured Brigade in Warsaw are soon to be deployed to Afghanistan as part of a NATO mission to that country.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki added that over the last 20 year, the V4 countries have proven to be valuable members of the alliance.

Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said during the event in Warsaw that joining NATO was for his country “the highest security guarantee.”

“Our strength is the ability to discuss our differences and finding common answers to challenges,” he added.

Twenty military units in Poland are holding picnics and military equipment shows to celebrate the NATO anniversary this weekend.

The V4 leaders will on Tuesday gather in Prague, the Czech Republic, to celebrate exactly two decades since they have become members of NATO.

The four-nation Visegrad Group is a regional cooperation platform that brings together Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

(tf/di)