Opening remarks

ESPACE PRIVÉ PRESSE & MÉDIAS

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So, good morning. Good morning to this important meeting of NATO foreign ministers, and I indeed again want to thank Sweden for the wonderful hospitality. Also last night with the King and Queen and the Prime Minister, it was a really lovely evening, also having Andrii Sybiha there to discuss, of course, issues around Ukraine - I think that was very good. So again, Maria, thank you so much for making this possible.

We will have an important meeting ahead of us today. We will, of course, discuss the outcome of The Hague, the Summit, and how we now move into the Ankara Summit, making a success - first of all, when it comes to the spending - and we see all over NATO territory the spending rapidly ramping up. Last year it is really staggering, in Europe and Canada, equalising now over time with the United States, but that is not the only reason we spend up, we spend more. Yes, of course, we do it for that reason, because it is fair, but also because we need the money to make us capable of defending NATO territory, and it is deeply rooted, as you know, in the capability targets.

But this money only makes sense, not only when we have the men and women in uniform, of course, they are key, but also for them to have their hands on the defence industrial output, and that is a big issue all over NATO territory. So, that will be a big issue in Ankara, but also an opportunity. Because when we speak sometimes about the defence dividends, the jobs, the extra production capacity coming online to defend ourselves, there is also, of course, an economic element in the US, in Canada, in Europe, and we see more and more companies working across the Atlantic.

And then, third, Ukraine, making sure that we do everything to keep Ukraine as strong as possible in the fight. Of course, there are developments. The whole situation with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, the freedom of navigation at this moment basically seriously being under threat - there is an issue we will no doubt also touch upon today. I know many of us are very worried about the situation. And I know that many countries have already prepositioned very important military equipment close to theatre, so to see how we collectively can help in the next phase.

And so all of that will be, no doubt, today being discussed. But hey, again, thank you for organising this, all of you for being here.