Brussels. June 16. INTERFAX - Preparations for the NATO summit on June 29-30 were the central topic of the meeting of defense ministers of the alliance countries held in Brussels, Secretary General of the organization Jens Stoltenberg said.
"The defense ministers have just completed preparations for the NATO summit in Madrid, which will take place in two weeks," the Secretary General said at a press conference on Thursday.
"At the summit, we will make decisions to make NATO even stronger and more maneuverable in a more dangerous and competitive world. I am sure that the Madrid summit will be a transformative summit," Stoltenberg said.
According to him, Russia's special military operation in Ukraine poses the greatest threat to NATO's security in recent decades. Therefore, the alliance's reaction to the long-term perspective should be determined.
Stoltenberg named the points on which the most important decisions of the NATO meeting in Madrid are expected. First of all, he pointed to the continued strengthening of NATO's deterrence and defense. Among the priorities of the summit, he called support for Ukraine and other partners in danger, adding that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will attend the summit.
The heads of state and government of the alliance countries will take a decision in Madrid on a new strategic concept in which NATO will outline its position on Russia, emerging challenges and for the first time in relation to China. Stoltenberg also stated the importance of a more equitable distribution of the financial burden among the member states and providing the alliance with resources.
Explaining the action plans in these areas, which will be discussed at the Madrid NATO summit, Stoltenberg said that Russia's operation in Ukraine is changing the rules of the game, and this requires reliable deterrence and strong defense. "Today, the ministers discussed the scale and structure of our future position. And how can we become more active in all areas with a significant strengthening of our presence, capabilities and readiness," the Secretary General said.
