its citizens and ensuring national defence, by utilising both national defence capacities as well as opportunities provided by collective defence, along with an active participation in building peace and global stability, conflict prevention, crisis resolution and in confidence building. 5) The main aim of defence policy of the Slovak Republic was met despite the changing security environment, with higher risks arising, however, from both the condition of national defence capacities, as well as AF SR interoperability levels with allied forces in the context of long-term development deficits from the past. The process of meeting this aim was therefore focused on halting negative trends as regards AF SR capabilities by implementing measures set out in the White Paper on Defence of the Slovak Republic (2013). The main aim of the defence policy was met despite higher risks arising from the condition of national defence capacities 1.3 The Defence Efforts of the Slovak Republic 6) The basis and axioms of the White Paper on Defence of the Slovak Republic (2013) are of a long-term character. The fundamental change of the security environment in Europe and the worsened security situation in her neighbourhood highlighted the need for an enhanced defence effort of the Slovak Republic. 7) By setting aims and providing a strategy of how to proceed in enhancing the ability of Slovakia to defend itself, the White Paper on Defence of the Slovak Republic (2013) provided conditions for effective resource allocation, which in turn was a pre-requisite for positive changes in the resource backing of national defence. 8) Despite a rigorous consolidation of public finances, planning assumptions concerning the evolution of defence spending as set out in the White Paper on Defence of the Slovak Republic (2013) were honoured. This was achieved by stabilising defence spending as a percentage of GDP beginning in 2013 (circa 1%), increasing defence spending in real terms beginning in 2014 and increasing it as a percentage of GDP (circa 1.1%) beginning in 2015. Decisions of the Government concerning investments into modernisation supported the rise of defence spending. As regards defence spending levels, there persisted an imbalance in the set tasks and resources allocated for their execution. There persisted an imbalance between tasks and resources 9) A number of measures have been undertaken by the MoD in order to better utilise resources, especially in the area of infrastructure (for example: the centralisation of immovable assets management and the reduction of costs through the MoD relinquishing infrastructure) and the operation of joint stock companies (entry of a strategic partner into companies, mergers OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC 21