Category: Europe

On Thursday morning the Deputy Secretary General visited the French National Assembly and had an engagement with with Mrs Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly and her team. He also met Ambassador Anne-Marie Descôtes, the Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.

On Friday, Mr Geoană met the Romanian ambassador to France and other Allied ambassadors before meeting with Préfet Stéphane Bouillon, Secretary General for Defence and National Security.

While in Paris, the Deputy Secretary General also held talks with representatives from the defence industry, including Mr Éric Trappier, CEO of aerospace manufacturer Dassault Aviation, and Mrs Pascale Sourisse, senior executive vice-president of Thales Group.
 

“NATO remains the unique and indispensable forum to consult, coordinate and act on hybrid threats. We see authoritarian actors increasingly interfering in our democratic processes and institutions. In fact, we see them targeting the security of our citizens through hybrid tactics on a daily basis. Our discussions at the symposium therefore focused on how to better prepare for, deter, and defend against this coercive use of political, economic, energy, information and other hybrid tactics.” said David Van Weel, Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges. 

In response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Allies are strengthening their national resilience against hybrid threats and improving their ability to understand the hybrid threat landscape, including strategies used by Russia and China.  Russia seeks to destabilise Allied democracies through implementing hybrid campaigns that involve cyber-attacks and energy blackmail, as well as in recent months, its use of migrants against Finland. In Vilnius, NATO leaders addressed China’s ambitious and opaque military developments, its technological advances, and its malicious cyber and hybrid activities, confrontational rhetoric and disinformation.

This is the first time that the symposium has been hosted in person. The event was co-organised with Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. Finland also hosts the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki. The Centre serves as a hub of expertise, assisting participating countries in improving their civil-military capabilities, resilience and preparedness to counter hybrid threats. Inaugurated in October 2017, the Centre is hosted by the Finnish Government and is supported by 35 other countries, as well as NATO and the EU.

The Secretary General welcomed Slovakia’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasising that “there are no signs that Putin is preparing for peace. Instead the Kremlin is preparing for a long and grinding war”. Mr Stoltenberg thanked Prime Minister Fico for confirming that Slovakia would continue to provide humanitarian aid and contribute to NATO’s comprehensive assistance package for Ukraine. He also welcomed continued defence industry cooperation between Slovakia and Ukraine and that the crucial repair hub in Slovakia will remain operational. “Stopping military assistance to Kyiv would prolong the war, not end it,” said the Secretary General. Mr Stoltenberg aIso welcomed President Biden’s clear commitment to providing Ukraine with crucial aid, stressing that “if Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real risk that his aggression will not end there.” 

On NATO’s deterrence and defence, the Secretary General announced that a long-planned US missile defence base in Poland will become operational on Friday (15 December 2023). “This is an important step for transatlantic security” and it will “boost Allies’ ability to defend against the threat of ballistic missiles, particularly from the Middle East,” said Mr Stoltenberg.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană highlighted that increasing and broadening the use of NATO common funding allows Allies to more effectively address shared security challenges. “Common funding demonstrates Allied solidarity and collective will. In turbulent times, we need this more than ever,” he said.

At the Madrid Summit in 2022, Allies agreed to invest more together in NATO, in response to rising global competition and threats to Euro-Atlantic security caused by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. At the Vilnius Summit in 2023, NATO leaders took further steps to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence and committed to ensuring that these decisions are adequately resourced.  They reaffirmed their enduring commitment to a strong transatlantic bond, unity and cohesion at a critical time for global peace and security.

NATO’s civil budget provides funds for personnel, operating costs, and programme expenditures of NATO’s Headquarters and its international staff. The military budget covers the operating costs of NATO Command Structure headquarters, missions, and operations around the world. NATO’s third principal common funded element is the NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP), which covers major construction, and command and control system investments. The 2024 ceiling for the NSIP is €1.3 billion, representing a 30% increase over 2023.

Common-funded budgets strengthen NATO, providing major capabilities, enabling deterrence, defence and interoperability, and supporting consultation and decision-making at the highest levels. NATO is committed to providing security in a way that is effective, transparent, and financially responsible.
 

The Deputy Secretary General will meet the President of the National Assembly, H.E. Ms Yaël Braun-Pivet. Mr Geoană will also meet French government officials, including the Secretary General for Defence and National Security, Mr Stéphane Bouillon, and the Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Anne-Marie Descȏtes.

He will also engage with representatives from the private sector, namely the CEO of Dassault Aviation, Mr Éric Trappier, and the Senior Executive Vice-President of Thales, Ms Pascale Sourisse.

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

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Allied experts, joined by the NATO Industrial Advisory Group, discussed national and NATO perspectives on defence industrial capacity, including measures to boost defence production, develop recommendations to address supply chain security and engage more closely with defence industry.  The Board will report to the Conference of National Armament Directors (CNAD), the committee that brings together the top national officials responsible for defence procurement in NATO member and partner countries. 

At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, Allied Leaders agreed the Defence Production Action Plan to accelerate joint procurement, boost production capacity and enhance Allies’ interoperability. NATO Allies are committed to sustaining the defence industrial production capacity required in peacetime, crisis and conflict. NATO plays a key role as a convener and standard-setter, helping Allies harmonise their defence procurement demands and helping industry understand Allied requirements so that they can deliver a sustainable supply.