Category: Europe

Allies condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), and its war of aggression against Ukraine which is contrary to the Treaty’s objectives. Russia’s withdrawal is the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic security. Russia continues to demonstrate disregard for arms control, including key principles of reciprocity, transparency, compliance, verification, and host nation consent, and undermines the rules based international order. While recognizing the role of the CFE as a cornerstone of the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, a situation whereby Allied States Parties abide by the Treaty, while Russia does not, would be unsustainable.

Therefore, as a consequence, Allied States Parties intend to suspend the operation of the CFE Treaty for as long as necessary, in accordance with their rights under international law. This is a decision fully supported by all NATO Allies.

Allies reiterate their continued commitment to reduce military risk, and prevent misperceptions and conflicts. Allies strive to build trust and confidence, based on key principles of transparency, compliance, verification, reciprocity and host nation consent, thereby contributing to peace and security. Allies invite those states that share this commitment and these principles, to join our efforts to also contribute to increasing predictability and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.

Allies remain united in their commitment to effective conventional arms control as a key element of Euro-Atlantic security, taking into account the prevailing security environment and the security of all Allies. This complements the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture that Allies have decided to further strengthen. Allies will continue to consult on and assess the implications of the current security environment and its impact on the security of the Alliance, and on our approach. Allies will make use of NATO as a platform for in-depth discussion and close consultation on arms control efforts.

On 10 November, the Secretary General will meet the Defence Minister of Germany, Mr Boris Pistorius. He will also receive the American Academy of Berlin’s 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize for his contribution to transatlantic relations.

Media advisory

Thursday          09 November 2023

13:30 (CET)     Joint press statements by the NATO Secretary General and the German Chancellor

16:00 (CET)      Remarks by the NATO Secretary General at the first NATO Annual Cyber Defence Conference

Friday               10 November 2023

19:30 (CET)      The NATO Secretary General will receive the 2023 Henry A. Kissinger Prize

Media coverage

• A transcript of the Secretary General’s remarks, as well as pictures taken by NATO photographers, will be available on the NATO website.
• The joint press statements and the Secretary General’s remarks at the first NATO Annual Cyber Defence Conference will be live-streamed on the NATO website.
• More details can be found on the web pages of the Federal Government of Germany; American Academy in Berlin.

For more information:

Contact the NATO Press Office

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

His Majesty will also address the North Atlantic Council.

There will be no media opportunity.

Photographs will be available on the NATO website after the event. The video files will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal.

For more information:

Contact the NATO Press Office

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

Media advisory

17:30 (CET)    Press conference by the NATO Secretary General and the President of Hungary

Media coverage

• Media representatives who have annual accreditation to NATO for 2023 can cover the press conference in person.
• The press statements will be live-streamed on the NATO website.
• The video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event.
• A transcript of the Secretary General’s remarks, as well as pictures taken by NATO photographers, will be available on the NATO website.

For more information:

Contact the NATO Press Office

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

Mr Stoltenberg condemned Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel and underlined the importance of Israel’s response taking place within international law, that civilians are protected, and of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza. He stressed that the war must not escalate into a major regional conflict. “We must not give up working for a lasting, political peace solution,” he said, underlining that the war in Gaza “must not lead to a weakening of our will and ability to support Ukraine.”

Warning that there are no signs that Russia is planning for peace, Mr Stoltenberg stressed that Allies must continue to provide Ukraine with lethal aid. He added: “if Ukraine stops defending itself, they will be occupied, and occupation is not peace”. Calling Russia’s invasion “a strategic defeat” which has left Moscow increasingly isolated, he underlined that “investing in Ukraine’s security is also an investment in our security”, because a victory for Putin would show authoritarian leaders that military force pays. 

The Secretary General also underlined the importance of trading with China “in ways that do not undermine our security” or create new dependencies. This also requires continued investment in defence. “Increased defence spending means more defence. But it gives us one more thing: a stronger NATO community,” he said.

Finally, Mr Stoltenberg welcomed that NATO is not only getting stronger; “we’re getting bigger”. Following Finland’s accession in April, Sweden will also soon join the Alliance. This “strengthens our ability to defend the Nordic region; it strengthens our ability to be present in the northern regions; and it strengthens our ability to come to the aid of our Baltic neighbours,” he said.

Mr Stoltenberg will deliver a speech and he will participate in a Q&A session with the parliamentarians.

The Secretary General will engage with the media following the event.  For further details, please contact the Nordic Council.

Photographs of the event, as well as a transcript of the Secretary General’s speech, will be available on the NATO website after the event.

For more information:

For further information on the event, including the agenda, please access the web page of the Nordic Council.

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

NATO Days are held to raise awareness and understanding of NATO among public audiences in partner countries, including institutions, international partners, Allied embassies, civil society, academia, media and youth. During the event, lectures, round tables and conferences focused on the current strategic context and on boosting resilience in Moldova, particularly through greater energy security in light of growing international hybrid challenges. An information session on NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme concluded the conference, shifting the focus of conversations from policy towards practical scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange activities.

The SPS presentations to an audience of government officials, civil society and members of the Moldovan academic community outlined Moldova’s record of cooperation in the framework of the SPS Programme, comprising more than 55 activities since 1995. Representatives of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and of the SPS Programme outlined major achievements of these nearly three decades of cooperation, which include the establishment of a Cyber Incident Response Capability for the Moldovan Armed Forces, the deployment of a mobile laboratory for the detection of biological agents, and the adoption of Moldova’s first National Action Plan for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

Recently, NATO’s scientific cooperation with Moldova has increasingly focused on resilience and the application of technology towards securing critical infrastructure. This was highlighted in a presentation by Dr Veaceslav Sprincean of Moldova State University, who is about to start an SPS project researching the use of unmanned systems and advanced detection systems for critical infrastructure protection, together with scientists from Italy, Latvia and Slovakia.

NATO’s SPS Programme connects academics, experts and officials in Moldova with their counterparts in NATO member and partner countries, and supports their collaborative work on innovative scientific projects. SPS activities expand and create international scientific networks that address shared security challenges and exchange knowledge on security-related topics. To stay up-to-date with the latest opportunities offered by the SPS Programme, subscribe to the SPS newsletter.