Category: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

“NATO deeply values our cooperation with the United Nations. We share a commitment to international peace and security, and to upholding the rules-based international order,” said Dylan White, Head of the NATO Liaison Office to the United Nations. “We are here to engage with partners, listen to their perspectives, and continue deepening our cooperation in the face of serious security challenges.”

The Summit of the Future brought together world leaders, international organizations, and other stakeholders to discuss the future of global governance, emerging global challenges, and strengthening multilateral cooperation.

On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will attend the opening session of the UN General Assembly’s high-level General Debate. He will also meet with a number of world leaders while in New York.

While in New York, Mr Stoltenberg will meet with world leaders and high-level officials.

On Monday, 23 September, the Secretary General will attend the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit.

On Tuesday, 24 September, the Secretary General will attend the Transatlantic Dinner hosted by the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Antony J. Blinken.

On Wednesday, 25 September, the Secretary General will take part in a commemorative event on the 20th Anniversary of the NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, hosted by the Kuwait.

On Thursday, 26 September, the Secretary General will participate in a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Photographs will be available on the NATO website.

Media Advisory

23 September 22:40 (CEST)   2024 Concordia Annual Summit – Concordia Leadership Award.

26 September 22:30 (CEST)   Conversation with the NATO Secretary General at the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

For more information:

Contact the NATO Press Office

For more information on the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit, please check the event’s website.

For more information on the Council on Foreign Relations, please check their website.

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The conference allowed senior military leaders from 28 countries and multilateral entities to discuss topics such  cybersecurity, regional capacity building, threats and opportunities in emerging technologies and the future of the Indo-Pacific. The purpose of the conference was to build on and strengthen relationships, thereby enhancing mutual understanding, cooperation and a consistent operational framework, while underscoring international commitment to protecting shared interests across the Indo-Pacific.

“The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO because developments in this region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security,” said Admiral Rob Bauer.  “The Alliance is strengthening its  dialogue and cooperation with Partners in the Indo-Pacific. It was important to meet our Partners and also share NATO’s views with other participants in the INDOPACOM, addressing cross-cutting security issues and global challenges,” the Chair of the NATO Military Committee added.

Discussions in the meeting with Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, focused on the evolving security challenges in the region and how to maintain global stability and security. The two Admirals discussed China’s military build-up, the threat from North-Korea and the global implications of the war in Ukraine. 

In his meetings with Chiefs of Defence from Australia, New Zealand and Japan, Admiral Bauer highlighted the steps taken at the Washington Summit in July to further enhance practical cooperation between NATO Allies and their Indo-Pacific Partners. This includes launching new cooperative flagship projects in the areas of supporting Ukraine cyber defence, countering disinformation, and technology such as artificial intelligence. 

While sitting down with Admiral David Johnston, Chief of Defence of Australia, Admiral Bauer highlighted the crucial role Australia plays in the Indo-Pacific. They also discussed Partnership, Allied activities in the region and related STRATCOM, the war in Ukraine, defence production capacity, digital transformation and Multi Domain Operations. 

Admiral Bauer also spoke about Indo-Pacific security with Air Marshal Tony Davies, Chief of Defence of New Zealand. The two underlined the paramount importance of upholding the rules-based international order and supporting Ukraine in its legal right to self-defence. 

In the meeting with General Yoshihide Yoshida, Japan’s Chief of Defence, Admiral Bauer underscored the importance of NATO’s and Japan’s partnership in maintaining Indo-Pacific security. General Yoshida highlighted the positive effects of activities by individual Allies in the region. Another main topic was the war in Ukraine and China’s role as a decisive enabler of Russia’s war efforts.

“In this dangerous world, partnerships are more important than ever. Security is global, not regional. European security is interlinked with security in the Indo-Pacific,” said Admiral Bauer. “Attending the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Conference reaffirmed that NATO’s Partnerships remain key to enhancing stability, positively influencing the global security environment, and upholding international law.”

In response to a more challenging security environment, NATO is stepping up efforts to deter and respond to threats in the maritime domain. Allies are strengthening situational awareness with new emerging and disruptive technologies. This includes conducting more high-end exercises connecting maritime surveillance assets across Allied nations below, on and above the sea.

REPMUS 24 provides a unique platform for operators from across the Alliance to test new systems in multi-domain experiments. The experimentation conducted during the exercise will help accelerate the development and refinement of technology, operational concepts and doctrine. This year’s iteration of REPMUS is focused on the employment of autonomous vehicles in multi-domain operations, anti-submarine warfare, naval mine warfare and the protection of Critical Undersea Infrastructure.

Last year, as part of NATO’s efforts to address challenges in the maritime environment, NATO established a Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure within NATO’s Maritime Command (MARCOM) in the United Kingdom to increase situational awareness and enhance deterrence and defence.  A new Critical Undersea Infrastructure Coordination Cell at NATO Headquarters in Brussels was created to improve information sharing and exchange best practices between NATO Allies, partners, and the private sector.  And NATO Defence Ministers launched the Digital Ocean Vision initiative connecting a range of national and Allied capabilities employed for maritime surveillance, including underwater robots, aerial drones and space surveillance assets.  

NATO Allies have also developed a roadmap to guide the future development of maritime capabilities.  All this is in line with other efforts across the Alliance, including the Defence Production Action Plan and NATO’s Digital Transformation. 

Led by the host nation Portugal, REPMUS 24 is co-organised by NATO’s Joint Capability Group for Maritime Unmanned Systems (JCGMUS), the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), the University of Porto’s Engineering Faculty and the European Defence Agency. 

Since its launch at the NATO Wales Summit in 2014, the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package has played a pivotal role in helping to build Georgia’s defence capacity, strengthen its resilience, and promote Georgian forces’ ability to operate effectively alongside Allied troops. Georgia’s Minister of Defence, Mr. Irakli Chikovani, underscored that the SNGP is a cornerstone of NATO-Georgia cooperation and brings Georgia closer to NATO. He highlighted tangible progress achieved in enhancing Georgia’s security and defence capabilities, and expressed appreciation for the support and contributions from NATO Allies and partners.

NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Ms. Burcu San, reaffirmed that the SNGP is a flagship of NATO-Georgia cooperation, highlighting its evolution and achievements. She also referred to NATO’s Strategic Concept of 2022, which upholds the decisions made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit regarding Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and eventual membership in the Alliance. In this context, she emphasised the importance of Georgia’s adherence to NATO’s core values. Ms. San further reaffirmed NATO’s support to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, within internationally recognised borders. She also noted that the South Caucasus and the Black Sea region are significantly impacted by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and by Moscow’s other malign and destabilising activities.

Major General Norbert Wagner, Commander of NATO’s Joint Force Training Centre, highlighted the strategic importance of the SNGP for strengthening Georgia’s defence and security capabilities and supporting its path towards NATO membership.

Three major accomplishments of the SNGP were highlighted.

First, the successful completion of the Acquisition initiative in December 2023. Launched in 2015, this initiative culminated with the Georgian Parliament’s adoption of new procurement laws, set to take effect on 1 January 2025. The initiative has delivered a modern, efficient, and accountable defence and security procurement system, fully aligned with international standards. Second, the Defence Institution Building School (DIBS) has been established and continues to develop. Following its NATO accreditation, DIBS is currently delivering NATO-standard training programmes designed to strengthen Georgia’s defence and security institutions. Efforts are underway to position DIBS as a leading centre for capacity-building across the broader Black Sea region. Finally, the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre focuses on enhancing interoperability, strengthening defence capabilities, and fostering national, regional, and international cooperation, and is further developing into a regional hub for military training and evaluation of best practices.

During the ceremony, Mr. Aemal Bahadur was introduced as the new NATO SNGP Core Team Leader, succeeding Colonel Norbert Hess from Germany, who was honoured with the Georgian Ministry of Defence’s Noble Partner Medal for his contributions.

During her visit, the Deputy Assistant Secretary General also held bilateral meetings with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Teimuraz Janjalia, Deputy Minister of Defence Mr. Paata Patiashvili, and Allied Ambassadors accredited in Tbilisi.

During NATO’s annual Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) Technical Interoperability Exercise (TIE), more than 60 counter-drone systems and technologies such as sensors, drone-on-drone systems, jammers and cyber interceptors were tested live.  
 
Ukraine’s first active participation in the exercise is part of the NATO-Ukraine Innovation Cooperation Roadmap endorsed by Allied and Ukrainian Leaders at the Washington Summit. Exercises like the C-UAS TIE provide a unique opportunity to address pressing challenges together, such as drone autonomy and interoperability while also learning from Ukraine’s battlefield experience in countering small drones. 
 
Integrating counter-drone technologies into NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) is important to the Alliance’s enhanced deterrence and defence posture. At the 2024 Washington Summit, Allies took steps to further improve the readiness, responsiveness and integration of NATO IAMD, and agreed to support the design and implementation of an integrated air and missile defence architecture for Ukraine.

 As part of his farewell speech, Mr Stoltenberg underlined the importance of continuing to increase defence spending and ensuring robust economic relations among Allies. He highlighted NATO’s steadfast support for Ukraine and how crucial this will be in helping to bring an end to Russia’s war. Reflecting on NATO’s experience in Afghanistan, the Secretary General also underlined on the need to clearly define the objectives of any future military operations beyond NATO’s borders.

Mr Stoltenberg concluded his speech by emphasising the importance of the transatlantic bond between Europe and North America, highlighting that “investing in the transatlantic relationship is the only winning way forward.”

Special Representative Colomina highlighted that “Egypt is a long-term partner of NATO and a key player in the region and beyond”. During his meetings in Cairo, he explored ways to enhance the partnership, especially in areas of particular interest for Egypt.
 
The Special Representative also outlined his three priorities. “It is vital that we strengthen dialogue and engagement with our Southern neighbourhood partners and other potential interlocutors in the region, which is more important than ever in the current regional context,” Colomina said. “We also want to ensure a coherent, effective and transparent approach to NATO’s efforts in the Southern Neighbourhood, and will work to enhance mutual understanding.”
 
During his visit, Special Representative Colomina also met with HE Mr. Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary General of the League of Arab States (LAS) and US Special Envoy for Libya, Ambassador Richard Norland. Additionally, he had a meeting with representatives of the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding and delivered a keynote address at the Institute of Diplomatic Studies.

Connecting cultures for a better understanding: Myriam’s impactful role

“If I were to leave a footprint in the world, it would be to raise cultural awareness and avoid misunderstandings that can lead to conflicts.”

Myriam Andaloro

Born and raised in Lebanon and having lived in Nigeria and now in Italy, Myriam has a natural ability to engage with people from different cultures and religions. Her international background and fascination with multiculturalism, identity and language made her interested in pursuing a career in the area of cultural consultancy and digital communications, which she currently carries out at the NATO Strategic Direction-South Hub, located within the Allied Joint Force Command Naples.

Myriam’s background and linguistic expertise are a valuable asset for the Hub’s mission to foster constructive relations between NATO and partners from the Middle East, North Africa, the Sahel, Sub-Sahara and adjacent areas. Myriam and her colleagues work to create a welcoming environment, where local experts share their unique perspectives in domains ranging from conflict prevention and security over countering terrorism, socio-economic developments and the Women, Peace and Security agenda to technology and innovation.

A few examples of roots of instability, which can spill over to NATO territory, are terrorism, radicalisation, human trafficking, crime, migration and environmental problems. Once a comprehensive picture of these security challenges is formed, the Alliance can better anticipate and, where possible, address challenging issues for the benefit of all.

Bridging NATO and its partners in the South through communication

As a cultural consultant for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Myriam’s role is to identify and respect regional sensitivities. Myriam and her colleagues work to develop a deep understanding of the traditions of these countries, as well as their populations’ perceptions of NATO, to ensure that what is communicated on NATO’s behalf is understood.

When Myriam first joined the Hub, her work focused on French and Arabic translations, and on the cultural overview of the Hub’s media products. Her responsibility was to help dispel misconceptions about NATO and appropriately communicate with external key audiences in the Middle East, Africa, and Allied countries, such as military organisations, regional and international experts.  Over time, Myriam started to take on more multifaceted and dynamic responsibilities, and began working on digital content production, focusing on bolstering mutual understanding and respect.

 “Every day looks slightly different. Some days I am busy translating our reports and updating our website, and on other days I am working hard on creating products for our online or in-person events. I often participate in conferences, which is very enlightening because I get to meet all the impressive experts from the Middle East and Africa.”

While it takes years to positively impact people’s perceptions, Myriam argues that the work of the Hub has been continuously improving the relationship between the Alliance and experts in the South. Knowledge-sharing among them has increased, widening mutual understanding and the scope of future cooperation.

Storytelling for understanding: NATO’s commitment to accurate cultural representation

Recently, Myriam assisted NATO’s Allied Command Transformation in the production of a graphic novella titled “How we see the darkness”. The novella – which is based on the paper “Complex Conflicts in Africa” by Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati Dr Alexander Thurston – underlines the necessity for external actors, including NATO, to exercise caution while seeking to build peace in Africa.

Myriam’s role in the project was to ensure that the fictional story depicted an accurate representation of its chosen setting. From examining if the characters were dressed appropriately, to checking whether the architectural style of the region was authentic and religious symbols were accurate, Myriam provided cultural guidance to the graphic contractors to avoid misrepresentations.

Additionally, Myriam translated the novella into both French and Arabic – making it available to non-English speaking audiences.

For Myriam, NATO “means the preservation of human rights and security”, two values that the Alliance has always defended. She aims to contribute to that mission by serving as one of NATO’s cultural experts for the South and is willing to help other Alliance bodies improve their knowledge of Middle Eastern and African countries, while promoting accurate and respectful communication.

The Assistant Secretary General for Operations discussed the security situation in Kosovo and addressed security concerns on the potential opening to road traffic of the Ibar River Bridge in Mitrovica. Mr. Goffus stressed the need for an inclusive and lasting solution. He pointed out that “decisions must be taken through dialogue, in timely and effective coordination with the International Community, and in way that does not put at risk the security of local communities or of NATO troops.” He added that “the NATO-led KFOR mission is bound by its UN mandate to address any security concerns and ensure a safe and secure environment.” KFOR maintains its fixed presence on the bridge and continues to conduct regular patrols in the surrounding areas.

Mr. Goffus reiterated NATO’s full support to the EU-facilitated dialogue for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. This is the framework to resolve outstanding issues and reach solutions that respect the rights of all communities, which is key to lasting security in Kosovo and to stability across the Western Balkans.

KFOR continues to implement its mandate – based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially. KFOR and the EU Rule of Law (EULEX) mission maintain close coordination, in their respective roles as security responders.

NATO has a long standing cooperation with the European Union and will continue to cooperate closely in support to regional stability.