Пресс-конференция

Добрый день.

Министры иностранных дел стран НАТО только что провели встречу с министрами иностранных дел Украины и Грузии. Мы рассмотрели ситуацию в области безопасности в регионе Черного моря, включая нарушения Россией суверенитета и территориальной целостности Грузии и Украины.

Четыре года назад Россия незаконно аннексировала Крым. Сейчас Россия пытается использовать Крым, чтобы расширить свое влияние и контролировать Азовское море. Всего несколько дней назад мы наблюдали, как Россия применила военную силу против украинских кораблей и личного состава военно-морских сил. Мы призываем Россию незамедлительно освободить украинских моряков и захваченные ею корабли. Кроме того, Россия должна обеспечить свободу судоходства и обеспечить беспрепятственный доступ в украинские порты. Россия следует модели неуважения границ своих соседей. Это включает военное присутствие в Абхазии и Южной Осетии.

Россия должна прекратить признание обоих регионов и вывести свои силы из этих регионов Грузии.

В ответ на агрессивные действия России НАТО за последние несколько лет значительно увеличила свое присутствие в регионе Черного моря – на море, в воздухе и на суше. Корабли НАТО регулярно осуществляют патрулирование и проводят учения в Черном море. В этом году корабли под командованием НАТО провели 120 дней в Черном море по сравнению с 80 днями в предыдущем году. Несколько стран НАТО проводят патрулирование воздушного пространства в регионе. Кроме того, страны НАТО регулярно осуществляют разведывательные полеты, и мы сформировали в Румынии многонациональную бригаду под руководством Румынии.

Три государства-члена НАТО – Болгария, Румыния и Турция – являются прибрежными государствами. Поэтому там уже имеется значительное присутствие НАТО в Черном море. И мы продолжим оценивать наше присутствен в регионе.

Сегодня на встрече мы договорились продолжить совместную работу по подготовке Грузии к членству в НАТО. Мы признали, что Грузия достигла значительного прогресса в области реформ. И мы поблагодарили Грузию за ее существенный вклад в нашу миссию в Афганистане.

Мы вновь подтвердили солидарность НАТО с Украиной. Мы признаем устремления Украины к членству в Североатлантическом союзе. И в области реформ уже достигнут прогресс. Но проблемы остаются, поэтому мы призываем Украину продолжать идти по пути реформ. Это крайне важно для процветания и мира в Украине.

Страны НАТО высоко ценят наши уникальные партнерства с Грузией и Украиной. Каждая из них по-разному делает вклад в нашу общую безопасность. И НАТО сохраняет приверженность укреплению связей с обеими странами.

А теперь я готов ответить на ваши вопросы.

Вопросы и ответы на английском языке.

Oana Lungescu [NATO Spokesperson]: We'll go to the BBC over there.

Question [BBC]: Yes, thank you very much.  Jonathan Marcus, Secretary General, from the BBC.  You’ve talked about NATO expanding its activities in the Black Sea region over the last few years, but clearly that has been insufficient to change Russia's behaviour in the light of the most recent events in the Sea of Azov.  Have you tasked NATO Military Authorities to look at other steps to increase NATO military activity in the Black Sea?  Or are there other steps that individual NATO countries might take to provide greater assistance to Ukraine?

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: NATO's presence in the Black Sea makes a difference and we have significantly increased our presence there and, during the meeting today, Allies clearly sent a message that they will continue to provide practical support to Ukraine, political support to Ukraine, but also continue to have a presence in the Black Sea region, both within the NATO framework, but also some NATO Allies have presence bilaterally.  We support the Ukrainian armed forces in different ways, with command and control, with cyber; some Allies also provide training in different areas.  NATO helps them to strengthen their naval capabilities, we help them at the naval academy in Odessa.  We also help them to develop maritime capabilities, training exercises and also port visits.  And we will of course very closely monitor and watch the situation in the Black Sea region, after the incidents we saw a few days ago.  I think also we have to remember and understand that one of the reasons why NATO is in the process of implementing the biggest reinforcement to our collective defence since the end of the Cold War, is actually Russia's aggression against Ukraine.  We have battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance for the first time in our history, we have the Romanian-led multinational brigade in Romania, we have air policing in the Black Sea, and we have more naval presence.  So, all of this sends a very clear message from NATO and NATO Allies, to Russia.

Oana Lungescu [NATO Spokesperson]: We'll go to Ukrainian TV in the first row.

Question [5 Kanal]: Good evening.  My name is Kristina, TV Channel 5, Ukraine.  So, my question is what will be the next steps of NATO in the case of further blockade of the Azov Sea by Russia, if it will continue for example?  Because, as we all understand, it is quite a dangerous threat, not just for Ukraine, for Turkey, but for other European countries which suffer from this blockade, and other ships and vessels.  Thank you.

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: This meeting in itself was an important message, or sent an important message to Russia.  Because having all NATO Allies, and some of them also have presence on the bilateral level in the Black Sea, and we have three littoral states, all NATO Allies met with Ukraine and Georgia and sent a very clear message about our support.  We are present in Georgia, we are present in Ukraine; and they committed to continue and to deepen the cooperation with both Georgia and Ukraine.  We will, as I say, follow and monitor.  We are following and monitoring closely the developments in the region, including of course in the Black Sea.  And then we will, based on our assessments, continue to assess our presence in the region.

Oana Lungescu [NATO Spokesperson]: ITAR-TASS, second row centre.

Question [ITAR-TASS]: Thank you very much.  Denis Dubrovin, TASS News Agency.  Mr Secretary General, four years ago your predecessor, Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has called for restrain in supressing the Maidan protestors in Kyiv. Would you call now for restrain for the French forces, of police forces, when they are supressing the riots of "gilet jaunes"?  Merci.

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: First of all, I think that’s no meaning in comparing those two situations.  And I also think that to try in any way to compare that is totally wrong.  Then, the important thing for NATO is that we support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and we will never accept and recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and that Russia continues to destabilise Eastern Ukraine.  And we have to understand what happened near the Sea of Azov in this context, because first Russia annexed Crimea, then they built a bridge, and then they used the annexation of Crimea and the illegally built bridge to try to take control over the Sea of Azov.  So therefore we continue to call on Russia to release the ships, release the naval personnel, but also allow Ukraine access to the Sea of Azov, with both commercial shops and military ships.  Because that’s actually an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and Russia has to honour that agreement.  So, any attempt to block, to impede access for Ukrainian ships into the Sea of Azov, will be something which is absolutely in violation of the agreement between the two countries and it's a new example of how Russia is not respecting the territorial integrity of its neighbours.  So, this is what this case is about.

Oana Lungescu [NATO Spokesperson]: Very last question; RUSTAVI 2, lady in the second row.

Question [RUSTAVI 2]: Georgian TV company, RUSTAVI 2.  Secretary General, does Ukrainian side raise some new initiations about this situation?  And second, Hungarian Foreign Foreign Minister, he made statement that he will raise issue about the Membership Action Plan to Georgia.  Do you discuss, on this meeting, this issue?  And which kind of position has other Allies?  Thank you.

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: This was one of the topics we addressed in the meeting.  I think I will leave it to each individual Ally to refer what they actually said in the specific meeting.  But in general, I can say that we strongly support Georgia on its path towards NATO membership and NATO's Heads of State and Government, they stated as late as in July that Georgia will become a member of the Alliance.  We continue to provide support to Georgia to implement the necessary reforms.  We commend the progress Georgia has made and we continue to work with Georgia in modernising their armed forces, building strong institutions, and we have the training and evaluation centre in Georgia, which we use to work with Georgia.  That is important for Georgia, but it's also important for NATO, because it strengthens the interoperability of our forces, and many Allies expressed in the meeting today that they are extremely grateful for the strong contribution of Georgia to different NATO missions and operations.  So, I think this meeting was a strong message of solidarity between NATO and Georgia, and NATO and Ukraine, and that we stand together.

Oana Lungescu [NATO Spokesperson]: Thank you very much.  This concludes this press point.  Thank you.

Jens Stoltenberg [NATO Secretary General]: Thank you.