Slovakia: (Re)Discovering of the international crisis management
Slovakia: (Re)Discovering of the international crisis management

Author(s): Samuel Goda
Subject(s): Politics, International relations/trade, Security and defense
Published by: Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (RC SFPA)
Keywords: Slovakia; international crisis management;
Summary/Abstract: The security environment in “wider Europe” has changed significantly in recent years. Depending on one’s preferences, a wide range of milestones may be named – the airstrikes in Yugoslavia, the 9/11 attacks, the Madrid attacks, the war in Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, etc. In this study, however, the main issue we are addressing is the Ukrainian crisis (or war), Ukraine being our direct neighbor and a country of special interest – and this being the issue, according to a wide range of experts, that has had the most impact on the region’s security in decades. Hence it was our desire to offer an analysis of Slovakia’s engagement in international crisis management (ICM) efforts in this context, as well as of the response of those international organizations (NATO, EU and OSCE) that are predominantly involved in ICM. This study will show, based on the country’s previous experience in ICM activities, that the Slovak Republic is an engaged partner and responsible member of these organizations. However, there is always room for improvement, both in the level of expertise and engagement with each particular organization, and in the promotion of Slovakia’s own interests. To analyze Slovakia’s engagement in international crisis management activities alone would be to miss the point. Therefore, we also allow space here for a consideration of the broader European security environment and the situation in Ukraine, which is without a doubt having a great impact on the role and activities of all three organizations – NATO, the EU and the OSCE. This publication is an outcome of a larger research project called “International Crisis Management,” conducted by a team of analysts at the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA) in 2015–2016. As part of this project we have organized several events in Slovakia dedicated to the topic of international crisis management, with the aim of putting this topic “back on the table” in Slovakia and the larger Visegrad region. The Visegrad aspect has been important for us, as it has provided an overview of the opportunities for cooperation between Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary in the field of crisis management, paying special attention to Ukraine. With this aim, and in cooperation with our partners in V4 countries, we have organized an international workshop and released a publication entitled “In search for greater V4 engagement in international crisis management.”

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