Slovakia will join the EU-initiated meeting on the "drone wall" on Friday, September 26, chaired by European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius, European Commission spokesman Toma Regnier said at a briefing on Wednesday, adding that as for Hungary, he would not speak on behalf of that country, UNN writes.
Details
"Regarding Slovakia and Hungary, I can confirm that Slovakia has now been added to the list of member states (meeting participants - ed.), complementing the seven member states, Denmark and Ukraine," Regnier said.
"I don't have a precise agenda at this stage to share, but what can be expected from this meeting, and what we certainly expect from the member states, is not just a meeting that will look good on paper, it's a meeting with firm commitments and concrete results," the European Commission spokesman noted.
According to him, this initiative is "a real need that we have." "Building a drone wall is a concrete need that Europe must build now, and again, we expect a strong commitment from the member states participating in this meeting, and we expect very good results," he emphasized.
"This is a common desire to cooperate," Regnier said.
Regarding Hungary, the European Commission spokesman said: "I will not speak on behalf of Hungary. This is Hungary's decision."
The European Commission spokesman also indicated regarding the "drone wall" that "negotiations with our NATO partners will also definitely take place."
Addition
European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius stated that the EU can significantly improve its drone detection capabilities within a year, but it will take much longer to create a full-fledged network on land and at sea capable of tracking and destroying targets.
The idea of a so-called "drone wall" quickly gained popularity after a wave of Russian incursions into EU airspace in recent weeks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made it one of the main statements in her State of the Union address in September.