NATO must be able to respond to many challenges and threats at the same time, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier today, answering the question of how difficult it is to simultaneously focus on the issues of Russia and China.
"We don't have the luxury of choosing. We have to be able to respond to many different challenges at the same time. We agreed - for the first time in NATO history - at the leaders' meeting in London that we have to deal with the consequences of the rise of China for our security. China will soon be the largest economy in the world. It is already the second country with the largest defense budget. It is developing and investing a lot in new, more advanced military capacities," said Stoltenberg.
However, he pointed out that there are both challenges and opportunities regarding China's rise.
NATO is committed to our training mission in Afghanistan, Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg said
"We strongly believe that this is the best way for NATO to support the peace process in efforts to find a political negotiated solution to the crisis in Afghanistan. And we would welcome any step that leads to a reduction in violence. At the same time, it is extremely important to send a clear message to the Taliban to show and show the real will and ability to reduce violence and engage in credible peace negotiations," Stoltenberg said in Brussels, a few hours before the start of the defense ministers' meeting.
At the meeting, the Montenegrin delegation is led by Minister of Defense Predrag Bošković.
Stoltenberg said this morning, commenting on Russia's violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, that he will not do the same as Moscow, but "but we will make sure that NATO maintains a credible deterrence and defense also in a world with more Russian missiles and without the INF Treaty".
The Secretary General pointed out that he was looking forward to meeting Jozef Barel, the head of European diplomacy.
"He has attended NATO meetings before in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs, but this is the first meeting with NATO in his new capacity," Stoltnberg said, announcing that colleagues from Sweden and Finland would also attend the meeting.
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