NATO Foreign Ministers discuss Allied security, Ukraine, Afghanistan at one-day talks
NATO Foreign Ministers are expected to agree on a continuous NATO presence in the eastern part of the Alliance and announce an interim Spearhead Force to enhance Allied security at their one-day meeting on Tuesday (2 December 2014). “In Wales, we agreed on the Readiness Action Plan. We are starting to deliver on that plan now,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The ministers at their talks will review progress on the Readiness Action Plan which NATO leaders adopted three months ago at the Wales Summit. Part of the plan includes the Spearhead Force, which will be able to react to any threat within days. “The new force should be ready in 2016. In the meantime I expect Allies to make available an interim force early next year to provide the capabilities we need,” Mr. Stoltenberg said.
They will also discuss the priorities of the new Ukrainian government and hold a video conference with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. The meeting will show the Alliance’s continued firm and strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. The ministers will announce that trust funds to support Ukraine are up and running. These projects will help build capacity in areas such as command, control, communications, cyber defence and medical rehabilitation.
On Afghanistan, Foreign Ministers will meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah to discuss the launch of the new Resolute Support mission in Afghainstan. The mission to train, advise and assist Afghan Security Forces will start on 1 January next year. The EU High Representative Federica Mogherini will also attend the talks as will Nicholas Hayson, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan.