Category: Defense

Noting that NATO and Cabo Verde “share the same values of freedom, democracy, and human rights,” Mr Stoltenberg said that NATO is stepping up cooperation with partners “to defend our values and the rules-based international order”. He underlined that NATO already has partners in North Africa and is strengthening cooperation with the African Union to address common challenges, including terrorism, climate change, and small arms proliferation.

The Secretary General welcomed Cabo Verde’s clear stance on Ukraine, including through votes at the UN General Assembly. He said that Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and the ongoing threat of terrorism “remind us that our security is not regional, it is global” and that “what happens in Europe matters for Africa, and what happens in Africa, matters for Europe”.

In 2006 Cabo Verde hosted the NATO exercise Steadfast Jaguar in Flamingo Bay on the island of Sao Vicente. This major exercise involving more than 7,000 troops tested the ability of NATO’s rapid response force to carry out missions anywhere at any time.

There will be no media opportunity.

Photographs and video footage will be available on the NATO website after the event.

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“Moscow continues to apply pressure on Moldova”, the NATO Secretary General said. “Including energy blackmail and disinformation with the aim of destabilising your society and undermining your democracy.”

At the Vilnius Summit Allies had agreed on continuing to step up NATO’s longstanding practical and political cooperation with Moldova. “This will also help you on the path towards EU membership”, Mr. Stoltenberg said. He thanked Moldova for contributing to the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. “Stability in the Western Balkans matters for all of us.” 

Mr Stoltenberg stressed that while some investors “have the misguided idea that the defence industry is somehow ‘unethical’” – there is nothing unethical about defending Allies or helping Ukrainian soldiers to defend their country. “Indeed, without industry, there is no defence, no deterrence and no security,” he said. 

NATO’s relationship with industry has become more important than ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Many Allies have significantly depleted their stocks in order to support Ukraine, which will continue to need large quantities of high-quality capabilities to defend itself. The Secretary General said: “Now we need to ramp up production to meet Ukraine’s needs, but also to strengthen our own deterrence and defence”.

Mr Stoltenberg underlined that Allies have implemented the biggest reinforcement of our collective defence since the Cold War and increased defence spending. At the Vilnius Summit, Allies stepped up even more, including with a new Defence Production Action Plan to aggregate demand, boost capacity, strengthen engagement with industry and increase interoperability.

The Secretary General also stressed the importance of cooperating with the private sector on innovation, saying “NATO needs industry as we navigate a world shaped by disruptive new technologies. Technologies like artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, biotech and quantum are changing the character of conflict as much as the Industrial Revolution.” This means that “we must constantly sharpen our technological edge by developing and adopting new technologies; cooperating with the private sector; shaping global standards; and embedding principles of responsible use that our democratic values enshrine.”

This year marks the first time a NATO invitee nation has hosted the NATO-Industry Forum. The Secretary General said that this demonstrates how close Sweden already is to the Alliance, adding that he looks forward to welcoming Sweden as a full-fledged NATO Ally soon. 

There will be no media opportunity.
Photographs will be available on the NATO website after the event.

For more information:

Contact the NATO Press Office

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress)