If this fails, Czechia may use force to protect its vital and, when necessary, strategic interests in accordance with its constitutional legislation, other national laws and regulations, the principles of the UN Charter, and within the framework of our solidarity and commitments to allies. Czechia prefers cooperation in international organizations, arrangements promoting peaceful dispute settlement, collective approaches to security and defence and mutually advantageous economic and technological cooperation. 12. 13. 14. Economic security (including energy, raw material, food, and trade policies) is an integral part of our national security. It is the linchpin of a functioning economic system and State. We can achieve economic security only if we work towards it within the strategic framework of our EU and NATO membership, and if we maintain an active, transparent and strategically justified international engagement. The State now plays a much stronger role in preventing economic dependencies with their potentially serious security implications. Economic security needs a secure and innovative internal economic environment, preservation and development of strategic industries, resilient infrastructure, openness to international trade and investment cooperation with credible partners, and a secure, affordable, and reliable supply of raw materials, technologies, and other inputs, including the building and maintenance of the State’s strategic reserves. The evolving security environment, including its climate-related changes, puts more pressure on societal resilience and requires us to adapt our security system to new threats. Czechia takes steps to improve its emergency prevention, readiness and response, and to further develop its integrated rescue system, civil protection, and crisis management mechanisms. The security system has to respond to all kinds of threats, and the quality of the response is conditional on constant improvement in each part of the system. The security and defence capability of the Czech Republic must be underpinned by economically strong, technologically advanced, and innovative defence and security industries, engaging in diversified international cooperation with reliable partners. The production capacities and capabilities (including access to raw materials and technologies) must be strong enough to keep our core defence and security structures supplied in times of peace as well as crisis and conflict. III. Security interests of the Czech Republic 15. Czechia classifies its security interests (“the interests”) according to their importance. This Security Strategy divides the interests into three categories: vital, strategic, and other important interests. 16. Vital interests. Our vital interest is to ensure the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of the Czech Republic, and to preserve (in form as well as in fact) all constituent elements of the democratic rule of law, including the protection and safeguards of fundamental human rights and freedoms for our people. Protection of the vital interests of our State and its people is the first duty of the Government and all public authorities. To protect and defend its vital interests, Czechia is ready to use all legitimate tools and all means on hand. 17. Strategic interests. The advancement of our strategic interests serves our vital interests and helps safeguard the social development and prosperity of the Czech Republic. To promote them, we use approaches and means appropriate for the given situation. The strategic interests of our State include namely the following: • security and stability, above all in the Euro-Atlantic space and promotion of international stability and the rules-based order; • a strong, operational, and cohesive NATO, based on a firm transatlantic link, capable to deter and resist a technologically advanced adversary thanks to its effective and credible nuclear deterrence capability, along with its other capabilities; • a united, operational, and stable EU, working jointly to help build a democratic, socially just, and economically prosperous community of countries pursuing open trade policies and championing human rights and freedoms; • NATO-EU strategic unity, complementary development of their defence and security capabilities, and the ability of NATO and the EU to stay ahead of the technological game; • building technologically advanced and prepared armed forces for our own as well as collective defence and preserving and developing our defence and security industry to ensure a secure supply of the necessary material and services our armed forces; 8 9