The EU must not procrastinate strengthening security and readiness for emerging threats, says Vice Minister of National Defence K. Aleksa

Vice Minister of National Defence Karolis Aleksa was in attendance at the 5^th European Security and Defence Conference in Brussels. Speaking in the Panel on "Spending More and Better Together - From National to EU Budgets: Defence in the European Competitiveness Fund and the Multiannual Financial Framework" Vice Minister underscored the necessity to dedicate significantly more effort to Europe's security and defence.

K. Aleksa pointed out that Europe needed to take decisive and speedy steps to strengthen the Common Security and Defence Policy promoting cooperation among the Member States and ensuring sufficient investment in the face of developing geopolitical threats. "Security cannot be seen as secondary - it needs to become the priority of the whole Europe. Part of the steps in this direction have been already taken. However, we look forward to additional positive progress in planning the required resources and developing suitable financing mechanisms, as well as employing and enabling the European industrial capacity for capability development," Vice Minister underscored.

He also underlined that an individual EU Member State could not respond to Russia's provocations effectively on its own, while the EU still did not have sufficient capability and resource to deter Putin's aggression effectively. Which defined the key challenge for the EU security and defence readiness, not something to be ignored or postponed until 2030.

K. Aleksa underscored the need to dedicate sufficient finance and other resources through investment in priority capabilities to help Member States build their capacity and ensure the common European Security as the EU aims for a robust defence readiness by 2030. He urged national governments and European institutions to act in concert and form a strong financial basis needed to strengthen the European defence industry and ensure competitiveness.