On 24 January 2017, an official Opening Ceremony for the Slovakian NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) was held in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Agency General Manager, together with the NFIU Project Manager and site implementation manager attended the ceremony.
NATO has been enhancing its forward presence in the eastern as well as south east part of the Alliance, with eight NFIU being established in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia to meet the commitments made at the Wales Summit (2014).
The NCI Agency has been responsible for providing IT support and connectivity for all eight NFIUs. The Agency has delivered these operational capabilities meeting extremely challenging timelines, and the success of this programme has exceeded the expectations of many stakeholders.
Peter Gajdoš, Defence Minister for Slovakia, congratulated the NCI Agency on realizing this important milestone for the Alliance, recognizing the dedication, professionalism and expertize of NCI Agency and NFIU personnel who worked together to deliver this capability for the Alliance in record time.
NATO's Secretary General was represented at the NFIU opening ceremony by Ambassador Tacan Ildem, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, and you can read his comments on the NATO website.