NATO Secretary General addresses arms control conference
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivered a keynote speech at the Public Diplomacy Arms Control Conference in Brussels on Wednesday (23 October 2019). He emphasised NATO’s strong and long-standing commitment to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.
In his keynote speech, the Secretary General acknowledged that “these are tough times for arms control”. He added: “the global arms control regime that has served us so well is eroding,” pointing to Russia’s disregard for its international commitments, and the emergence of new actors and new technologies.
The Secretary General said: “if arms control is to remain effective it needs to adapt. I see four areas where we could act together to reflect these new realities. We need to preserve and implement the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We need to adapt nuclear arms control regimes to new realities. We need to modernise the Vienna Document. And we need to consider how to develop new rules and standards for emerging technologies, including advanced missile technology.”
Mr. Stoltenberg concluded: “NATO will and must play its part to ensure arms control remains an effective tool for our collective security – now and in the future.”
The Secretary General’s speech was followed by a high-level panel discussion with experts and NATO Permanent Representatives.