NATO Secretary General in London: UK leadership important for NATO
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Prime Minister David Cameron at No 10 on Thursday (14 April 2016) for talks on how NATO is adapting to face the greatest security challenges in a generation. The Secretary General thanked the United Kingdom for its role in strengthening collective defence, its significant contributions to NATO missions, and its leadership on defence spending.
Mr. Stoltenberg underscored that the UK is leading the way for European Allies on defence spending, committing to spend above 2 percent of GDP. He also highlighted the UK’s contributions to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan and presence in the Aegean Sea, helping Greece, Turkey and the European Union to cope with the migrant and refugee crisis.
In their talks, the Secretary General and Prime Minister Cameron discussed priorities for the Warsaw Summit in July and how to step up joint efforts to fight terrorism and ISIL. The two leaders also addressed NATO’s support for the refugee and migrant crisis and the importance of strengthening cooperation between NATO and the EU. “NATO and the European Union are two organisations which are vital and which are working closely together in many different areas, and I would welcome even closer cooperation,” said the Secretary General. He stressed that NATO counts on the UK’s leadership in addressing common challenges, whether from ISIL, nuclear proliferation or a more assertive Russia. The Secretary General and Prime Minister Cameron exchanged views on the progress made since the 2014 Wales Summit.