First NATO-EU meeting under new permanent arrangements

The first meeting of the North Atlantic Council and the EU Political and Security Committee at Ambassadorial level under the new permanent NATO-EU consultation arrangements took place on 5 February at the EU, under Swedish presidency. Discussions centred around two main subjects: the way ahead for NATO-EU relations and the contribution of both organisations to the management of the crisis in the Western Balkans. Regarding NATO-EU relations, Ambassadors discussed ongoing business between the two organisations and the elements that remain to be resolved; regarding the situation in the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, they voiced their concern over ongoing violence in the region and stated that NATO and the EU are working together to help stabilise the situation.

Under the new arrangements agreed by NATO and the EU in January this year, three meetings per semester will be held at Ambassadorial level and Foreign Ministers will meet twice a year. All twenty-three members of NATO and the EU participated in Monday's meeting: Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.