valuable asset we have and therefore emphasis is laid on increasing the moral qualities, level of education and expertise of professional soldiers. The second pillar is composed of military hardware, the most expensive segment of capability development, while its replacement or modernisation is key to progress in transforming the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic. As threats to national security are more tangible, a greater emphasis on heavier hardware with greater fire-power, manoeuvrability and ballistic protection is in demand. The development of infrastructure utilised by the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic will respond to the poor condition of several of its elements, including its educational and training base. At the same time, the White Paper emphasises the importance of support given to the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic by other elements of the system of national defence in case of an armed confrontation, as well as of the host nation support given to allied forces while they operate on Slovak territory. The most important means of implementing development aims will be a functioning defence planning process bridging strategic aims, programming priorities and budgetary considerations with the acquisition process. Last but not least, this important document emphasises the need to strengthen the trust of the public in national defence, to deepen patriotism and the defence-awareness of citizens in the spirit of national and military traditions, as well as the need to increase the quality of preparation of the general population for national defence. My life-long experiences in the armed forces have confirmed me in my opinion that ensuring national defence is conditional on fulfilling its long-term needs, which in turn requires continuity of approach and solutions with a guarantee of funding across several electoral terms. This was one of the reasons why we submitted the draft of this White Paper to a wide public discussion before the official release by the Government. The opportunity to express their opinion within the scope of this discussion was therefore open not only to government institutions but also to members of the appropriate parliamentary committee, several former ministers of defence, former state secretaries of the ministry of defence, former Chiefs of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, representatives of the non-governmental sector including professional interest groups, representatives of selected union organisations, the Slovak Security and Defence Industry Association and last but not least, the general public. After all, national defence is not leftist or rightist, it does not exclusively concern either the governing coalition or the opposition, nor is it the responsibility of the state or professional soldiers and employees of the MoD only. As stated in the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, defence of the Slovak Republic is a duty and a question of honour of its citizens. I hope that in this way a deepened sense of shared responsibility for its implementation has been achieved. It is especially important because the White Paper on Defence of the Slovak Republic constitutes a strategic vision and a comprehensive point of departure for enhancing the ability of the Slovak Republic to defend itself. This document will be followed by further decisions, including the adoption of a long-term Armed Forces development plan, a new Defence Strategy of the Slovak Republic, a conceptual framework of how to develop the system of national defence and last but not least, armament projects for the Armed Forces. In all these cases we seek political and public support. In closing, I would like to express my thanks to all who took part in drafting this document including the external expert community and to all who will actively contribute to its implementation. OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC Peter GAJDOŠ Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic 7