Martin Sklenár is appointed as the next Defence Minister, he confirms the determination to continue strengthening Slovakia's defence capability

After his appointment by President Zuzana Čaputová at the Presidential Palace on Monday 15 May 2023, Martin Sklenár has become the next Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic, taking officially over from Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď. As both leaders agreed, the MOD has seen a successful three-year period with revolutionary changes. Therefore, the MOD's ambition remains to continue the trend of strengthening Slovakia's defence and security.

Speaking at a press conference at the SVK MOD, Martin Sklenár, the newly appointed Defence Minister, said: “I have been working in the field of defence and security for 20 years already. I am ready to dedicate all my experience and expertise to benefiting Slovakia’s defence capability and driving forward the development of the Ministry of Defence as much as possible, especially in this challenging international situation,” before adding that he wants to “use the time available to continue the ongoing work on projects and initiatives”. 

Minister Sklenár argued that the current period is defined by the situation in Ukraine, saying: “Depending on how this conflict ends, we’ll see what world we will find ourselves living in. Our support for Ukraine is extremely important, because this, too, is about our own security and defence. I am pleased that we will continue with it.”

He went on to thank the outgoing Defence Minister, Jaroslav Naď, for concentrating all his efforts on Defence, saying: “This Ministry and its components along with the Armed Forces will, for a long time, remember Jaroslav Naď, who, thanks to his expertise, perseverance, professionalism and transparency, has managed to set the course for them in a very good direction.” 

At the press conference, Jaroslav Naď confirmed that he has full confidence in his successor and that he appreciates Martin Sklenár as a professional with a wealth of subject matter expertise in Defence, which he has gained whilst holding expert positions at home and abroad.

“I sincerely congratulate Martin Sklenár on his appointment as the Defence Minister. I am very pleased that it’s him to whom I hand over this post in these challenging times. I am convinced that the MOD under his leadership will see the things we have worked on together through to completion. This is especially so with those modernisation projects that are being undertaken with our Allies within NATO,” Jaroslav Naď said. 

According to him, Slovakia has become an indisputable and responsible member of the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union over the past three years. Thanks to Slovakia's accountable approach to a range of security issues, its standing on the international stage is now significant.

As part of today's formal change of leadership at the Ministry of Defence, the Minister of Defence's Standard handover ceremony took place for the first time. Even in this way, the MOD wanted to recognise the importance of carrying on our traditions and modern patriotism. The official programme then continued with a gathering at the MOD Club, which presented a more personal opportunity for the outgoing head of the MOD to thank Service personnel, civil servants, and civilian employees in Defence for their work.

In his farewell speech, outgoing Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “There is quite a lot that connects me to the Ministry of Defence and I have always cared about it enormously. That’s why my support for and relationship with all Service personnel and employees – and every person who is part of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces and their components – will always remain very strong and sincere. I recall being confronted with some of the most extraordinarily difficult decisions and I felt I had a huge backing from you. Thank you.”