Secretary General thanks the Netherlands for its commitment to NATO
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked the Netherlands for its many contributions to the security of the Alliance during a visit to The Hague on Thursday (19 April 2018). The Secretary General had talks with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, in preparation for the NATO Summit in July. Mr. Stoltenberg also had discussions with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok, the Minister of Defence, Ank Bijleveld, and other parliamentarians.
At a joint press point with Prime Minister Rutte, the Secretary General praised the contributions made by the Netherlands to NATO’s battlegroup in Lithuania and to the Alliance’s rapid reaction Spearhead Force. He also welcomed the continued Dutch support to NATO’s training mission in Afghanistan. The Secretary General welcomed that the Netherlands is investing in high-end capabilities such as F-35 aircraft, as well as new warships and submarines. At the same time, Mr Stoltenberg stressed that it is necessary to invest more in defence.
During his visit, the Secretary General addressed a town hall meeting at Leiden University College The Hague on “Adapting NATO to a changing world.”