President Pavel calls for higher defence investment in Ankara

More investment in defence is needed, and people are beginning to realize that it is also an investment in their own future, President Petr Pavel said during his speech at a Munich Security Conference event held alongside the NATO summit. The Czech president later attended the Defence Industry Forum and is scheduled to take part in an informal dinner hosted this evening by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"The Czech Republic has the advantage of being surrounded by allies, as it is located in the heart of the European Union and among NATO member states. However, this can create a false sense of security," Pavel said.

According to Pavel, NATO was founded on the noble principle of "one for all and all for one." If Europe becomes a truly self-reliant partner for the United States, it can expect that this principle will continue to work. "If we are not self-reliant, it is difficult to expect the United States to do our job for us," Pavel said.