Both sides appreciated that the Czech-Austrian defense and security cooperation was gaining momentum and took stock of their respective national positions and ambitions that were, in their variety, noted as reflecting the countries´ comparable size and geographical proximity. The Austrian interlocutors shared their experiences in running the ongoing EU Presidency in the area of the Common Security and Defence Policy and elaborated on the Austria-led project on Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) protection, adopted within the EU Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Also discussed were Czech and Austrian take-aways from the troop contribution to the EU Training Mission in Mali. Debating regional projects, participants focused on the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC), looking forward to the joint COOPERATIVE SECURITY exercise to take place in 2019 after the last COOPSEC had been staged in 2017 at the Lower Austrian training site of Allentsteig. Deputy Minister Landovský and his Austrian interlocutors expressed support to outreach activities by the Czech Embassy Vienna in its capacity as NATO Contact Point Embassy and, finally, explored prospects for further development of the Czech-Austrian defense-industrial cooperation.

Jakub Landovský, Robert Brieger