Secretary General in London: UK is a strong ally at the heart of NATO
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday (23 November 2016) for talks on how NATO continues to adapt to a changed security environment. The Secretary General thanked the United Kingdom for its enduring commitment to NATO and its leadership on defence spending.
In their talks, Prime Minister May and the Secretary General underlined the importance of the transatlantic bond. Mr. Stoltenberg noted that the UK is leading by example on defence spending, investing over 2% of GDP on defence. He also highlighted the UK’s significant contributions to NATO missions and its commitment to deploy a battlegroup to Estonia next year, as part of the Alliance’s enhanced multinational forward presence.
During his visit to the UK, the Secretary General also met with Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, and delivered a keynote speech at Oxford University. Addressing students on Thursday (24 November) at the Oxford Union, one of the world’s oldest debating societies, Mr. Stoltenberg explained how NATO adapts to meet new challenges, keeping all Allies safe. For nearly 70 years, he noted, NATO has helped to preserve the peace in Europe, bringing to bear the strength and unity of North America and Europe.