Speech by President Jean-Claude Juncker at the Defence and Security Conference Prague: In defence of Europe

Text of a speech by President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker at the Defence and Security Conference Prague.

On occasion of the conference the president analysed the role of the European defence along EU's history as well as the challenges faced and the breakthroughs reached so far.

'How long can we pretend that countries so intimately linked as we are in the European Union do not also need to face external threats together? With the Schengen area of free movement our borders are common. When we speak to Russia we are heard collectively, not individually'.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Communication: SPEECH/17/1589, 09.06.17: Remarks by President Juncker at the joint press conference with Bohuslav Sobotka, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, and Rose Gottemoeller, NATO Deputy Secretary-General http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-17-1589_en.htm

EU: EEAS: Press Release: 09.06.17: Speech by Federica Mogherini, High Representative/Vice-President of the European Commission at the High Level Conference "Defence and Security Conference Prague: European Vision, European responsibility" https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/27913/

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