NATO Secretary General joins world leaders for UN General Assembly

On Tuesday, the Secretary General met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  The Secretary General said after the meeting, "NATO and Russia have serious disagreements on a number of issues, which make our dialogue even more important. Today, we discussed military posture and exercises, including Russia´s recent exercise Vostok as well as NATO´s upcoming exercise Trident Juncture.‎ I also raised NATO´s concerns about Russia´s ongoing aggressive actions in Ukraine, and expressed NATO´s strong solidarity with the United Kingdom following the attack in Salisbury. Minister Lavrov and I agreed to continue our contacts."

Later on Tuesday, Mr. Stoltenberg met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The two leaders welcomed the ongoing cooperation between NATO and the UN. They also exchanged views on the Western Balkans and the security situation in Afghanistan.

NATO and the United Nations reinforce one another, as organisations committed to tackling security challenges and upholding the international rules-based order. Over the past decade, the two organisations have stepped up cooperation, working closely to support Afghanistan and Iraq. NATO has also pledged support for UN peacekeeping operations, including to counter improvised explosive devices. 

The Secretary General also met the African Union (AU) Chairperson, President Paul Kagame. NATO has cooperated with the AU since 2005, including by providing air and sealift, as well as planning support for the AU’s mission in Somalia. The two leaders agreed to look into deepening cooperation in the future.

On Wednesday, the Secretary General will deliver a speech on NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Following 9/11, NATO invoked its collective defence clause – Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – for the first time, in support of the United States. This led to the Alliance's operation in Afghanistan, its biggest ever. In 2015, NATO received a piece of twisted steel from the Twin Towers, which is displayed at the Alliance’s new headquarters in Brussels as the 9/11 and Article 5 Memorial.