NATO Secretary General discusses key security challenges with Turkish Prime Minister
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu met on Monday (30 November 2015) to discuss a wide range of pressing international issues, including the crisis in Syria and last week’s incident which led to the downing of Russian Air Force aircraft.
“All Allies fully support Turkey’s right to defend its territorial integrity and its airspace” the Secretary General said after the meeting. “I welcome Turkey’s efforts to establish contacts with Moscow and through its contacts with Russia, to de-escalate the situation. It is important to stay calm and to calm tensions”, Mr Stoltenberg added.
The Secretary General also highlighted the need to avoid similar situations in the future. “Last week’s incident shows how important it is to strengthen international mechanisms to build stability, transparency and predictability in our relationship with Russia. This is key to reducing the risks of incidents and accidents.” Mr Stoltenberg said. Looking ahead, he stressed that risk reduction and transparency on military activities will be discussed at the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on 1 and 2 December.
The Secretary General urged Russia to play a constructive role in Syria by targeting ISIL, which is our common enemy. Mr Stoltenberg emphasized that NATO strongly supports the renewed international efforts to find a genuine political solution to the conflict in Syria.