Opening remarks
by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the North Atlantic Council meeting on Defence and Deterrence and on NATO's operations at the level of Defence Ministers
(As delivered)
Good afternoon in Europe.
And good morning in North America.
NATO is responding to COVID-19, and preparing for a possible second wave.
But the security threats we faced before the pandemic have not disappeared.
So we must continue to provide security to our close to one billion citizens.
We need to maintain deterrence and defence,
and our operational readiness.
Today, we will discuss how to respond to the growing threat posed by Russia’s nuclear capable missiles.
And we will also discuss NATO’s missions and operations with the focus on Afghanistan and Iraq.