Category: NATO

The Secretary General called on Belgrade and Pristina to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated dialogue, as this is the only path to a lasting peace and stability.   Mr Stoltenberg stressed the importance of NATO and Serbia’s partnership: “Serbia is an important regional actor and a long-standing partner of NATO. A good example of our cooperation is the joint work we have done over the past 10 years through NATO’s Science for Peace Programme, in different fields, including energy and environmental security, advanced technologies, and cyber-defence.” 

The Secretary General also highlighted the role of NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission: “For two decades, KFOR has ensured a safe and secure environment in Kosovo for all communities. We will continue to do so impartially, and in line with our UN mandate.  In May, our KFOR troops were attacked.  Ninety three of them were wounded, some suffered life changing injuries. In September, we saw another outbreak of serious violence in Kosovo, this is unacceptable. The facts must be established, the perpetrators must face justice. Therefore I welcome that Serbia is prepared to cooperate in these efforts.”

The Secretary General also discussed with Predident Vučić the possibility of resuming joint military exercises, and training for civil preparedness:  “We would welcome the possibility of resuming these kind of exercises in the future, and I look forward to further strengthening our cooperation.”  While in Belgrade, Mr Stoltenberg also met with Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabić and saw the latest examples of NATO-Serbia scientific cooperation. 
 

In the panel discussion on defence modernisation, Admiral Bauer spoke alongside Dr Khalid Al-Biyari, Assistant Minister for Executive Affairs at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence and Admiral Tony Radakin, United Kingdom Chief of the Defence Staff. In his opening remarks, the Chair explained that cooperative security essentially underpins the other two core tasks of the Alliance: collective defence and crisis management. “With the security situation being as volatile as it is, NATO wants and needs to invest more time and energy in our partnerships around the world.”

Admiral Bauer stated that NATO has decades of cooperation to build on, through the frameworks of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and the Mediterranean dialogue. Cooperation with Partners ranges from information exchange, military education and training to operating side by side in a NATO mission or operation. “Military cooperation with Partners means that you have access to new ways of working and different threat perceptions, as well as potential new solutions. It strengthens defence and deterrence for all parties involved”, he underscored.

Attending the conference was also an opportunity to interact and meet with representatives of Nations present in the MENA region. The NATO delegation had bilateral meetings with:

• Bahrain: H.E. Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Bahrain: H.E. Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Political Affairs Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Bahrain: Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Force 
• Saudi Arabia: Dr Khalid Al-Biyari, Assistant Minister for Executive Affairs at the Ministry of Defence
• Iraq: Farhad Alaaldin, Chairman of Iraq Advisory Council, Advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs
• France: Mr Stephane Bouillon, Secretary General of the General Secretariat for Defence and National Security 
• Germany: Mr Thomas Hitschler, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Defence

Admiral Bauer noted the importance of building dialogue and cooperation with both NATO Partners and designated contact Nations. “The MENA region has always been of strategic importance to NATO. NATO Nations share many of the same challenges as the Nations in the region, such as those posed by extremists groups, terrorism or nuclear proliferation; but they have different approaches to tackling these challenges. Therefore, through dialogue and cooperation we can learn best practices and improve the way we respond to these global threats”, he emphasised. 

At the Vilnius Summit earlier this year, Allies launched a deep reflection on NATO’s relationship with its southern neighbourhood.  Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has appointed a group of independent experts to support a review of NATO’s approach to its southern neighbourhood – particularly the Middle East, North Africa and Sahel regions. Professor Ana Santos Pinto of Portugal was appointed as Chair. The aim is to agree concrete proposals in time for the next NATO Summit, due to take place in Washington, D.C. in July 2024.

On Sunday, 19 November, the NATO Secretary General will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he will have a working dinner with the members of the Presidency.

On Monday, 20 November, Secretary General Stoltenberg will meet the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Christian Schmidt. He will also meet the Chairlady of the Council of Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms Borjana Krišto. Mr Stoltenberg will visit NATO Headquarters Sarajevo and have meetings with military leaders and representatives of the international community.

On the same day, the Secretary General will continue his trip to Kosovo, where he will have discussions with Ms Vjosa Osmani-Sandriu and Mr Albin Kurti. He also visit NATO’s KFOR Camp Nothing Hill, where he will meet KFOR’s Commander Major General Ulutaş, and address the troops. He will also meet with the Director of the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team, Brigadier General Hammerstein.

On Tuesday, 21 November, the Secretary General will be in Belgrade. He will have meetings with the President of Serbia, Mr Aleksandar Vučić and the Prime Minister, Ms Ana Brnabić. Mr Stoltenberg will also engage with Serbian scientists who will present technology developed in the context of NATO’s Science for Peace and Security projects.

Later that day, Mr Stoltenberg will travel to the Republic of North Macedonia to meet with President Stevo Pendarovski and the Prime Minister, Mr Dimitar Kovačevski. The Secretary General will also meet the President of the Assembly of North Macedonia, Mr Talat Xhaferi, and give a speech to the parliament.

On Wednesday, 22 November, the Secretary General will participate in a meeting with Allied leaders from the region. The Prime Minister of Albania, Mr Edi Rama; the President of Croatia, Mr Zoran Milanović; the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Mr Milojko Spajić; and the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Mr Robert Golob, have been invited to attend.

Media Advisory

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• 20th November, 09:15 (CET)   Joint press conference by the Secretary General with the Chairwoman of the Council of Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kosovo

• 20th November, 16:10 (CET)   Joint press conference by the Secretary General with Ms Osmani-Sandriu of Kosovo

Serbia

• 21st November 09:50 (CET)   Joint press conference by the Secretary General with the President of Serbia

Republic of North Macedonia

• 21st November 16:30 (CET)   Joint press conference by the Secretary General with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia
• 21st November 17:20 (CET)   Address to the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia by the Secretary General
• 22nd November 09:28 (CET)   Doorstep statements by the NATO Secretary General and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia
• 22nd November 11:40 (CET)   Joint press conference by the Secretary General with regional Allied leaders.

Media Coverage

The Secretary General’s press conferences, as well as his doorstep statements with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia and his address to the Assembly of North Macedonia, will be streamed live on the NATO website.

Transcripts of the Secretary General’s engagements, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website after the events.

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The training was launched following Ukraine’s request for NATO assistance to help its medical system, which is under strain from the conflict and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This project is already helping Ukrainians receive better medical care, and will increase Ukraine’s resilience in the longer term. It’s a prime example of what can be achieved when Allies join forces and direct their solidarity and resources through NATO,” said Tom Goffus, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations. He praised Romania for its staunch support to this project, and expressed gratitude to the Allies whose donations made it possible.

The NATO EADRCC managed the programme’s implementation and the cost – 442,701 Euro – was covered by donations made by Czechia, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Romanian Department of Emergency Situations offered the training classes and practical experience, while the country’s International Organisation of Migration also supported the project. Romania also hosted the activities in Oradea and Targu Mures.  
 

Mr Stoltenberg thanked President Rinkēvičs for Latvia’s contributions to the Alliance, including increased defence spending, investments in new capabilities like HIMARS, and contributions to NATO operations and missions in Kosovo and Iraq. Latvia also hosts a Canadian-led battlegroup and will host NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission next year.

The Secretary General welcomed Riga’s significant political and military support to Ukraine, saying: “this is even more important now, as the situation on the battlefield is very difficult.” He added: “that is not an argument for less support; it is an argument for more support. This matters not just for Ukraine’s security, but for our security.” 

The Secretary General emphasised that NATO will become even stronger when Sweden joins, saying: “we look forward to welcoming Sweden as a fully Ally very soon”.

The CIOR Medal is awarded by the President of the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) and is given to “individuals, whose contribution to CIOR’s work or promoting and developing reserve forces has been most outstanding.” The Secretary General received the medal in recognition of his “contribution in promoting and developing reserve forces in the armed forces of the Alliance.” The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer was also awarded the CIOR 75th Anniversary Medal during the same day.

“Surveillance and control aircraft are crucial for NATO’s collective defence and I welcome Allies’ commitment to investing in high-end capabilities,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “By pooling resources, Allies can buy and operate major assets collectively that would be too expensive for individual countries to purchase. This investment in state-of-the-art technology shows the strength of transatlantic defence cooperation as we continue to adapt to a more unstable world”.
 
The E-7 Wedgetail is an advanced early warning and control aircraft that provides situational awareness and command and control functions. Equipped with a powerful radar, the aircraft can detect hostile aircraft, missiles and ships at great distances and can direct NATO fighter jets to their targets. The United States, the United Kingdom and Türkiye also either fly the Wedgetail or plan to operate it. It is based on a militarised version of the 737 jetliner. 

NATO has operated a fleet of E-3A Airborne Warning and Control (AWACS) aircraft since the 1980s. Based at Geilenkirchen airbase in Germany, the AWACS have flown in every major NATO operation, including the fight against ISIS as well as on NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The E-7 is expected to have its main base at Geilenkirchen and could operate from several forward locations across Europe. The Wedgetail will be part of the Alliance’s future surveillance and control project which will field NATO’s next generation of surveillance systems from the mid-2030s.

The course is a part of the NATO 2030 agenda to support Allies’ commitment to resilience. It is delivered through enhanced engagement, training and education for NATO Resilience Civil Experts. The NATO Civil Experts pool is comprised of nearly 500 subject-matter experts with in-depth knowledge on matters related to NATO’s seven Baseline Requirements for resilience and provides a unique capability for Allies and partners to access.

The course helps prepare NATO Civil Experts in providing consultations for Allied nations, in implementing the Alliance Resilience Objectives that were endorsed at the Vilnius Summit. These experts also provide support to NATO partner nations in their resilience building efforts.

The Secretary General stressed that the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines last year and the recent damage to the Balticconnector pipeline and cables show that infrastructure is vulnerable, and that threats are real and developing.

Since these incidents, NATO has stepped up air and naval patrols and increased presence in the Baltic and North Seas. At the Vilnius Summit in July, Allies agreed to establish a new centre on critical undersea infrastructure at NATO’s Maritime Command in the United Kingdom. NATO and the European Union have also established a task force on the resilience of critical infrastructure. “Critical infrastructure is important, and it’s an area where we once again see the relevance and importance of cooperation between the NATO and the European Union,” said the Secretary General.

On the situation in Ukraine, Mr Stoltenberg highlighted that intense fighting continues. “The situation on the battlefield is difficult. And that just makes it even more important that we sustain and step up our support for Ukraine because we cannot allow President Putin to win,” said the Secretary General. “Ukraine must prevail as a sovereign independent nation in Europe and it’s in our interest to support Ukraine,” he said.