Secretary General, Ministers, Excellencies, Generals, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our accession to NATO in 1999 was a clear signal that the long-standing
division of the European continent was ending.

It was an important milestone. And the best embodiment of the fundamental
principle that every country has the right to choose its own security
arrangements.

For almost a quarter-century, we have been working hard to achieve the goal of
Europe whole, free and at peace. Today, that vision seems very distant. But so
did our NATO accession in 1989.

While signing the NATO accession protocol the late President Václav Havel
said:

„It gives us hope that our country will never again succumb to or be sacrificed
to any aggressor, and at the same time it expresses a clear commitment to share
responsibility for the freedom of nations, human rights, democratic values and
peace on our continent.”

Russian aggression against Ukraine gives those words new urgency. For my
country, this commitment is as relevant as it was 25 years ago.

We know where we are coming from. The struggles of our ancestors must not
and will not come to nothing.