Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to serve as patron, on behalf of the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, patronage over the 16th edition of the Future Forces Forum. This international exhibition of the latest defence and security technologies is becoming increasingly important and beneficial.

Thanks to this international event, public institutions and companies have an opportunity to become familiar not only with the latest technologies, but also with activities that can contribute to ensuring national security and defence. These principles are supported not only by the state itself, but also by a wide range of sectors, from industry through science and research to development.

The significance of this event is further demonstrated by the fact that official meetings of NATO working groups will also take place as part of the programme. Strengthening relations among partner countries is absolutely essential, particularly in today's highly complex security environment.

The ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and attempts to disrupt the functioning of critical infrastructure, have become part of the everyday security challenges faced by Europe as a whole, including the Czech Republic.

In this context, I would also like to highlight the role of transport infrastructure, which is an important component of a country’s defence capability. This is why we continue to invest in the development and modernisation of key road, rail and digital transport systems, ensuring that they remain safe, reliable and resilient in the face of both current and future threats.

Strengthening the resilience of the state, however, is not the responsibility of public institutions alone. It also requires the sharing of experience, close cooperation and open expert discussion across both the public and private sectors. This is precisely why I consider events such as the Future Forces Forum to be exceptionally important.

I therefore believe that the discussions and insights generated by this year's exhibition will make a valuable contribution to strengthening the security and resilience not only of the Czech Republic, but of Europe as a whole.