Czech and Italian defense ministers hold talks in Prague

Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová and her Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto met for one-on-one talks on the sidelines of the Globsec international conference in Prague to discuss security issues and bilateral cooperation in defense. The Czech defense minister stressed the need for NATO to adopt a new strategy towards Russia, which is waging a war against the West through cyberattacks and sponsoring terrorist and arson attacks on NATO territory. The meeting also focused on the purchase of US F-35 fifth-generation aircraft for the Czech military. The purchase of 24 F-35 fighter jets for approximately 150 billion crowns was approved by the Czech government last September. The final assembly of the first 12 aircraft for the Czech Republic is to take place at the Cameri plant in Italy.