Joint press statement

Good afternoon.
So first of all, I would like to thank General Gerhartz for inviting me and also for the pilot Mark, who actually made it possible for me to fly and also to Colonel Schnell who actually hosts us here in this base.

So the Laage Airbase is really an impressive facility, but for me now, this is a once in a lifetime experience to be able to fly in a Eurofighter, and to really see by myself at least to having some kind of understanding of what it’s like to fly an aircraft like that, a very powerful aircraft, very impressive aircraft and by flying it, being able to sit behind, I really feel like I get some understanding of what this is all about.

Then, I would also like to thank everyone who have made this possible, all the people on the ground, all the people who have made the whole mission possible because for me, this is important to try to understand and to get a better and deeper understanding about what this is all about.

The Laage Airbase is important for Germany, it is impressive, not least because it trains so many German pilots, but therefore it's also important for NATO, because what they do from here is to educate the best pilots in the world and also to support the different air policing missions, which is important in a more challenging security environment. And therefore, I would also like to thank the German Air Force, for everything you do for our collective security, for our shared security, for our collective defence, and I would also like to thank you for what you do for Ukraine because Germany and the German Air Force are one of the or –the country in Europe that provides the most support to Ukraine, and you are now actually providing additional Patriot battery. And as far as I understand, you're actually now training the personnel for that Patriot battery.

So it demonstrates that the German Air Force is contributing in so many different ways to NATO, but also to our efforts to help and support the Ukrainians.

So once again, thank you so much for making this possible.
It has been a great experience.
It was comfortable almost all the time. I will say not all the time, but that was the meaning. So I also felt some of the power and some of the gravity forces up in the plane but I think that was part of the experience to also see that.
So thank you so much.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah
We’ll take questions, start with DPA.

Journalist, DPA
Thank you so much. So, first of all, on document has to be signed in Paris on Friday to develop a Franco German battle tank. How do you view this development? How important is it for European countries to develop military technology together?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
So we welcome NATO Allies are working together to develop military capabilities, because that will make us stronger. It will make NATO stronger and it will help Allies to get new and modern capabilities. So in general, we are in favour of Allies working together, it will also help to overcome fragmentation of defence industry it will help to develop new and advanced technologies that can be applied. For instance, on new battle tanks so that's something we very much welcome and the good news is that both in North America but also in Europe, Allies are now really investing more in the defence industry, ramping up production. And we need of course, Allies to work together to strengthen the transatlantic defence industrial base. So yeah, that's a good news.

Journalist, Unknown outlet
Have you been surprised to fly, could you share your impression?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
I think the Pilot has to explain exactly what we did, but first we flew on and then we saw some German planes, kind of similar Eurofighter following us, flying very close, I would say. And then we came to an air tanker. And it's extremely impressive to see how close the planes are when they actually get fuel from this big tanker. So it's a one plane then being fuelled by the big tanker. And then actually, we flew our self and connected to that fuel system. And then then we saw some Swedish planes doing exactly the same. So it is impressive to see and it's actually NATO interoperability, that a German tanker can tank Swedish JAS Gripen, showing that we help each other as Allies and this is good to see and actually see my –I have spoken a lot about importance of interoperability but to then see a Swedish plane being fuelled by a German tanker is really interoperability in practice, being done up there in the air and to be so close to see that, it makes a great impression. Then we did something I cannot totally explain that I took over the control over the plane. And then, we first turned like this, but then you have to tell what we did.

Mark, Laage Airbase (Pilot)
So basically, we performed basic manoeuvres, aileron rolls, what you will learn first when you fly the airplane, and he did perfectly I can only say that, we performed the looping. He flew looping all by himself, perfectly, nothing to add about that. So I think he would have made a great fighter pilot.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
The only thing is that we did it twice. The first thing I think it was not perfect. I would say. I did it –the second time I did it, I think it went quite well. So maybe that something I can start to do when I end my tenure at NATO.
NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah
Okay, [inaudible] Zeitung.

Journalist, Unknown outlet
What did you see from our country [inaudible]. Have you ever been here before?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
I saw how beautiful this part of Germany is. We saw the very nice fields and all these yellow fields with the Raps and we saw Rostock and we saw another city [Neubrandenburg] and so it was very beautiful.

Journalist, Unknown outlet
Was it your first visit here?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
The first visit to this place, this base, I had never been in Rostock before. I have been in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern before. I've been there before. But this is the first time I'm here.

Journalist, Unknown outlet
And a second question, what advice would you have to your successor, Mark Rutte?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
First of all, my focus now is to be totally focused on NATO. As long as I'm the Secretary General of NATO. Then, I'm absolutely confident that the Allies will find a perfect successor but it's not for me to comment on exactly who's that’s going to be. The most important thing for a Secretary General of NATO is of course to ensure that this Alliance is united, that Allies stand together. And I'm actually certain that that will be the case.

NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah
Ok, we’ll pick one final question

Journalist, Unknown outlet
Mr Stoltenberg, looking at the elections in the United States, do you fear a comeback of Donald Trump, which would have a possible impact on US withdrawal from NATO structures in Europe?

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
First of all, I think we need remember that NATO is the most successful Alliance in history, because we are 32 nations with different political parties in government, with different history, different geography from both sides of the Atlantic. But we have always, despite our differences, been able to unite around our core task to protect and defend each other. And I expect that regardless of the outcome of the US elections, that will still be the case in NATO. Because a strong NATO is good for Europe, but a strong NATO is also good for the United States.

The United States represents 25% of the world's GDP. Together with NATO Allies, we represent 50% of the world's GDP, and 50% of the world's military might so for the United States, it's very good to have friends and Allies, as the United States has in NATO. And therefore it is in the security interest of the United States to maintain NATO. And therefore I believe that's what the United States will continue to do. Second, if you look at the United States, there's strong bipartisan support for NATO in the Congress, but also in the US public if you look at the opinion polls.

And then thirdly if you look, or if you listen to what former President Trump, but also others say, it’s not mainly a criticism of NATO. It's a criticism, NATO Allies not spending enough on NATO. And the good news is that now European Allies are actually spending a lot more on NATO. This year, I expect that roughly two thirds of NATO Allies, European NATO Allies, will spend 2%, and Germany is now at 2%. So it's a totally different picture.

So because this is in the US security interests, because it has strong bipartisan support, and because actually European Allies have addressed the main complaint from North America, from the United States, spending more on defence, I'm confident that NATO will remain a strong united Alliance regardless of the outcome of the US elections.