Category: Europe

The delegation of senior military officials was welcomed by Commander AIRCOM, General James B. Hecker. “Besides our leading role in coordinating the Allies’ Space activities and maintaining Space awareness for the Alliance, we also enhance our traditional air capabilities in support of multi-domain operations,” said General Hecker. He proceeded to illustrate AIRCOM’s plans for strengthening the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro Atlantic Area (DDA). “With our collective AIRCOM effort we ensure the security and strength of the Alliance – working on important subjects like counter anti-access and area denial, continuing to lead NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence, trailblazing Agile Combat Employment and enhancing cross-border operational procedures of our air forces,” he stated.

Admiral Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, also highlighted AIRCOM’s critical expertise in deploying Allied air forces along the eastern flank, orchestrating air defence capabilities and strengthening command and control of Allied integrated air assets. 

Reflecting on Air and Space Power as a force multiplier and catalyst for NATO multi-domain operations, the Chair discussed ‘ubiquity’ as the unique capability offered by Air Power to ensure “we stay one step ahead of our adversaries, from seabed to space”.

Sessions throughout the day offered the NATO HQ military representatives a deep-dive into how AIRCOM implements the Alliance’s subordinate strategic plans in the Air and Space domains and centered on a number of key topics, included Integrated Air and Missiles Defence (IAMD) in correlation to industrial capacity; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and integrated processes among nations. “This challenge goes beyond the simple concept of air and missile defence we were accustomed to”, said Admiral Bauer reflecting on the importance of Air and Space Power as a critical element of the Alliance’s overall deterrence and defence, now and going forward. “In this new era of collective defence – marked by an increasingly complex and multifaceted global security landscape – the importance of Air and Space Power as a cornerstone of NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities will continue to grow”, he stressed, adding that this is instrumental to the Alliance’s readiness and ability to defend every inch of our territory and uphold our shared values of freedom and democracy.

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)

Media advisory

08:30 (CEST)      Short statements by the Secretary General and the Prime Minister (Agora podium – visual media only)

Media coverage

Media representatives who have annual accreditation to NATO for 2023 can cover the statements in person, on first come-first serve basis. Media wishing to do so are requested to inform NATOMediaOperations@hq.nato.int by midday on 25 October. Media representatives are requested to report in front of the Press shop (ground floor) at 08:00 (CEST).

The event will be streamed live on the NATO website and X @NATOPress.

A transcript of the Secretary General’s remarks, as well as pictures taken by a NATO photographer, will be available on the NATO website.

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

For more information:

Contact the NATO Press Office

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