News

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan to NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (12 December 2018) for talks on the Alliance’s partnership with Amman, as well as regional security challenges. His Majesty participated in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, addressing security challenges facing the Middle East and North Africa, including the fight against terrorism. At the meeting, Mr. Stoltenberg praised Jordan’s role in promoting regional security, and its active role in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

NATO and the European Union signed an agreement on Monday 10 December to cooperate in promoting good governance in the defence and security sector. As part of this agreement, the European Union will contribute 2 million EUR to the NATO Building Integrity (BI) Trust Fund for 2019-2022.

Today, I called both President Vučić and Mr Haradinaj to brief them on the outcome of Wednesday's meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on the Western Balkans. I underlined that both Belgrade and Pristina should show calm and restraint, and avoid any provocative statements or actions.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Wednesday (5 December 2018) that he has appointed Sir Nicholas Kay of the United Kingdom as the next NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan. Mr. Stoltenberg made the announcement following a meeting of Foreign Ministers on the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission.

NATO Foreign Ministers concluded two days of meetings in Brussels on Wednesday (5 December 2018), focused on issues including the INF Treaty, the Sea of Azov, the Western Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Alliance's new training mission in Iraq. At the conclusion of the meeting, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that Foreign Ministers will next meet in Washington in April 2019, marking 70 years since the Alliance's founding. He added that Allied leaders will also meet later next year.

Allies have concluded that Russia has developed and fielded a new missile system in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a key arms control agreement which has been crucial in upholding NATO’s security for over 30 years. At a meeting on Tuesday (4 December 2018) NATO Foreign Ministers called on Russia to urgently return to full and verifiable compliance, saying: “it is now up to Russia to preserve the INF Treaty.” Allies expressed firm commitment to preserving effective international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.

NATO Foreign Ministers are meeting today (4 December 2018) to begin two days of talks on critical issues for the Alliance’s shared security. Ministers will discuss NATO’s cooperation with Georgia and Ukraine, transatlantic security, and the Alliance’s approach to the Middle East and North Africa. The Western Balkans and the security situation in Afghanistan will also be high on the agenda.

NATO Foreign Ministers met with the Foreign Ministers of Georgia and Ukraine on Tuesday (4 December 2018) to address the security situation in the Black Sea region and the Alliance’s support for both nations. NATO has substantially increased its presence in the Black Sea region over the past few years, at sea, in the air and on the ground. The Alliance remains committed to strengthening its ties with both Georgia and Ukraine.

The Heads of Allied Civil and Military, Intelligence and Security Organizations met at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 29 November 2018 for talks on countering disinformation, cyber-attacks and traditional means of espionage. The conference was opened by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, together with the Romanian Chair of NATO’s Civilian Intelligence Committee and the Canadian Chair of the Military Intelligence Committee. The Allied Intelligence officials endorsed the framework for the establishment of a NATO Intelligence Academy, and they discussed together with Partner services and the European Union about emerging technologies that have an impact on intelligence and also about NATO – EU cooperation.

The annual Partnership Training and Education Centre (PTEC) Marketplace took place on 29 November 2018 at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. High-level representatives from 23 PTEC from around the world met to exchange expertise, forge new links and discuss further synergies in the key domain of military education and training.