Together they reiterated commitment to strengthening NATO. They appreciated the high quality of our relations demonstrated by the April meeting between Prime Minister Fiala and President Biden and addressed plans for further deepening of our strategic partnership in security, defense and economic areas.

In view of Russia’s daily brutal assaults on Ukraine, they emphasized the need to speed up delivery of substantive material support for Ukrainian military. “Europe is prepared for the long run in helping Ukraine – whatever it takes,” confirmed minister Lipavsky, and appreciated continued United States’ financial and material support to Ukraine.

Both ministers shared their concerns about reports of increasing exports from China for Russia’s military-industrial complex, which is key for sustaining Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine.

Ministers further discussed strategically important defense cooperation stemming from the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets. Minister Lipavský expressed our great satisfaction with the launch of development and industrial collaboration between several Czech companies and American producer Lockheed Martin.

Ministers also review our bilateral cooperation in cyber and energy domain and joint plans to further expand this collaboration. They exchanged views about the evolving security situation in the Middle East and in Indo-Pacific.

On the margin of their meeting, Minister Lipavský and Secretary Blinken signed Memorandum of Understanding on Countering Foreign State Information Manipulation.

“Information influence activities by foreign states, including disinformation and propaganda, pose a security threat to Czechia and other democracies. Russia has further intensified these interference techniques as part of its broader hybrid campaigns during its unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine,“ added the chief of Czech diplomacy. The memorandum responds to this fact and at the same time strengthens the close strategic partnership between Czechia and the United States. The document is an important tool that will enable both our countries to address effectively foreign malign influence, which represents a significant threat today.