VISEGRAD COUNTRIES HAVE TO STRENGHTEN THEIR OWN CAPABILITIES

Exactly the Visegrad countries, thanks to their lessons learned, can offer to countries of the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe their experience. If Visegrad countries wish to have the Western Balkans or its Eastern border stable, then first of all the themselves have to be strong and stable and thereby naturally inspiring and prestigious for this region. Our homework therefore is to do our best so that our countries - V4 countries – would be the most useful NATO and EU members.

Being a member is much more demanding than becoming a member. This have to be extended by strengthening our own capabilities in the largest sense of meaning – starting with economy via civic society up to defence capabilities. Earning membership does not mean it is all over, on the contrary, it is the beginning. However, nongovernmental as well as governmental partners in these areas are frequently focusing only on the goal of becoming a member, and they focus much less on being a member.

Read more in Policy Paper prepared especially for 5th GLOBSEC Security Conference by ZBYNEK PAVLACIK, Chairman of Jagello 2000- Association for Euro- Atlantic Cooperation(Ostrava), Czech ATA, at: http://www.ata-sac.org/globsec2010/uploads/documents/Zbynek%20Pavlacik%20-%20Visegrad%20Countries%20Have%20to%20Strengthen%20Their%20Own%20Capabilities.pdf