The recent actions surrounding the NATO counter-intelligence Centre of Excellence (CEK) do not affect Slovak personnel of the Centre, the Polish Defence Ministry assured in a statement.

“Deputy Defence Minister Tomasz Szatkowski, speaking on behalf of the defence minister, Antoni Macierewicz, reassured that no changes to Slovak personnel were made,” the statement read.

In a letter issued last week, Slovak Defence Minister Martin Glváč, asked his Polish counterpart to “immediately refrain from non-standard actions” at the counter-intelligence centre.

The letter was sent in response to the controversial appointment of Colonel Robert Bala to the post of acting chief of NATO’s CEK during a late-night entry by Polish Defence Ministry officials into the building in Warsaw on 18 December.

In the letter, Glváč stated that Macierewicz did not consult with the Slovak side regarding the changes. Also, Glváč reminded that the centre is administered by both Poland and Slovakia.

A day following the change of guard, the new head of the centre, ministry plenipotentiary Bartłomiej Misiewicz, said that the move was “in line the the Slovak side”.

Poland’s Defence Ministry assured Slovakia that the recent changes to CEK will affect only Polish personnel and no changes have been made in regards to Slovak personnel.

The CEK counterintelligence centre is an international initiative of both Polish and Slovak forces. (ua/rg)