Category: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. Ayman Safadi exchanged views with the Committee on regional developments and on strengthening the strategic partnership between Jordan and NATO, including the imminent opening of the NATO Liaison Office in Amman.  The PCSC received updates on NATO-Jordan cooperation at the Headquarters of the Jordanian Armed Forces, the National Center for Security and Crisis Management, and the Women’s Military Training Centre, all of which are supported by NATO’s DCB initiative.

The visit was the first by the PCSC to Jordan and also celebrated over a decade of NATO’s DCB support to the Kingdom.  It included a meeting with Allied Ambassadors in Amman, hosted by Romania as the NATO Contact Point Embassy.

At a closing press conference NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that the targets “describe exactly what capabilities Allies need to invest in over the coming years… to keep our deterrence and defence strong and our one billion people safe.”

The targets are the basis for a new defence investment plan which is expected to be approved at the NATO Summit in The Hague. The proposal calls for Allies to invest 5% of GDP in defence, including 3.5% on core defence spending, as well as 1.5% of GDP per year on defence and security-related investment, including in infrastructure and resilience.

The NATO-Ukraine Council also met on Thursday, with Allies joined by the Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. Following the meeting, the Secretary General reaffirmed Allied support for Ukraine noting that this year alone, Allies had pledged over 20 billion euros in additional security assistance for Ukraine. He also welcomed the additional support Allies had pledged at the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on Wednesday.

In the final meeting of the Ministerial, Allies took part in a regular meeting of NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group. “Nuclear deterrence remains the cornerstone of Alliance security,” noted the Secretary General, “and we will ensure that NATO’s nuclear capability remains strong and effective, in order to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression.”

At a signing ceremony held on the margins of NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting, a number of Allies joined two established initiatives. 

Canada, Denmark, Norway and Poland joined the NATO Flight Training Europe (NFTE) High-Visibility multinational initiative, which aims to ensure the delivery of state-of-the-art pilot training across Europe in a cost-efficient and interoperable manner.

Since its launch in 2020, eight military campuses have been fully accredited for NFTE training and six are undergoing certification. NFTE training includes basic, intermediate and advanced training for fighter jet, helicopter and transport pilots, as well as personnel who remotely pilot uncrewed aircraft. On 5 March the first group of students graduated in Remotely Piloted Aircraft System training at the NFTE campus in Waddington, United Kingdom.

Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands and Slovenia agreed to join the 21 other Allies that participate in the Cross-Border Airspace Cooperation initiative.  

Launched in 2023, this initiative aims to develop larger airspace solutions, including cross-border, that are better suited to accommodate training events for modern air capabilities and systems.

Lieutenant General Grynkewich is currently serving as Director for Operations of the Joint Staff.

Upon completion of national confirmation processes, he will take up his appointment as the successor to General Christopher G. Cavoli, United States Army, at a change of command ceremony at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium, expected in the summer of 2025.

“At this Ministerial, we are going to take a huge leap forward” Mr Rutte stated, “We will strengthen our deterrence and defence by agreeing ambitious new capability targets.” He went on to identify air and missile defence, long-range weapons, logistics, and large land manoeuvre formations as among the Alliance’s top priorities.

“We need more resources, forces and capabilities so that we are prepared to face any threat, and to implement our collective defence plans in full” the Secretary General emphasised, adding that, in order to deliver on our new targets, “we will need significantly higher defence spending. That underpins everything.”

The Meeting of NATO Defence Ministers will be preceded by a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) – the international coalition of Allies and partners chaired by the UK and Germany, providing practical support to Ukraine as it resists Russian aggression.

On the sidelines of the event, LTG Rohling and Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Boris Ruge- also present at the conference- held several bilateral meetings with political and military stakeholders from the Indo-Pacific. These exchanges focused on areas of shared interest such as maritime security, cyber defence, and strategic resilience, reinforcing NATO’s commitment to supporting international stability and a rules-based order through enhanced cooperation with like-minded nations. LTG Rohling also engaged with defence industry representatives, discussing approaches to enhancing private and public sector cooperation.

Key themes at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue included regional stability, maritime cooperation, and the importance of maintaining open channels of communication. Participants exchanged views on evolving global security environment and the role of multilateral engagement in reducing tensions. Broader discussions also touched on lessons learned from ongoing conflicts, the need to strengthen resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, and the value of practical cooperation in addressing shared challenges.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, organized annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), convenes defense ministers, military leaders, and security experts from around the world to address pressing regional and global security challenges. NATO’s engagement in this forum underscores its recognition that today’s security environment is increasingly interconnected—and that strategic dialogue beyond the Euro-Atlantic area is essential to fostering global peace and stability.

The Secretary General thanked President Nausėda for hosting the meeting and commended Lithuania’s leadership and commitment to NATO. “Lithuania is a staunch Ally, and continues to lead by example,” said Mr Rutte, highlighting Lithuania’s current investment of over 4% of GDP in defence and its plans to increase this to between 5-6% in 2026. “This sends an incredibly powerful message of commitment to our collective defence, and it also sets an example for our other Allies. On this stage, and in our meetings today, it is clear that the commitment to collective defence is strong,” he said. 

During their meeting, leaders discussed how to further strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence. “We are facing the most dangerous security environment in decades,” said Mr Rutte. “We are not at war – but we are not at peace either.” He stressed the need to pivot to warfighting readiness, including significantly more forces that are well-trained, well-equipped, fully supported and sustainable. Mr Rutte said he expects the Summit in The Hague to demonstrate Allies’ enduring commitment to collective defence – through increased defence investment and defence industrial production, and agreement on ambitious new capability targets. “We continue to count on the B9 and our Nordic Allies to play a key role in these important efforts,” he said.

Support for Ukraine will also be a priority for the Summit in The Hague. The Secretary General commended Ukraine’s efforts, and the role of Baltic and Nordic countries in providing persistent military and financial assistance. “A strong, sovereign Ukraine is essential for Euro-Atlantic security,” said Mr Rutte.

The B9 format brings together Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.  This summit was held jointly with Nordic Allies Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. President Zelenskyy of Ukraine attended elements of the meeting.

DIANA formulates its challenges based on NATO and Allied nations’ priorities, the latest trends in emerging and disruptive technologies, and market potential. The ten challenge areas DIANA will be asking innovators to submit proposals for are: 

• Energy and Power 
• Advanced Communication Technologies 
• Contested Electromagnetic Environments 
• Human Resilience and Biotechnologies 
• Critical Infrastructure and Logistics 
• Operations in Extreme Environments
• Maritime Operations 
• Resilient Space Operations 
• Autonomy and Unmanned Systems 
• Data Assisted Decision Making 

Selected innovators will receive €100,000 of contractual funding to enable them to continue iterating their solution in response to the challenge whilst participating in the accelerator programme. By participating in the DIANA programme, they will also get access to a network of more than 180 test centres across Europe and North America to undertake testing, evaluation, validation and verification activities. Through a mix of both in-person and online programming and support, DIANA innovators will also gain the tools to grow their businesses, navigate complex defence procurement processes, and supercharge their network with industry partners, military end-users, potential investors, and a range of mentors.

While in Vilnius, Mr Rutte will have a number of bilateral meetings.

 

Media advisory

+/- 10:45 (CEST) Doorstep by the Secretary General

11:00 (CEST)Opening Session remarks by the Secretary General

14:00 (CEST) Joint press conference with the Secretary General, the President of Lithuania, the President of Poland, the President of Romania, the Prime Minister of Denmark, and the President of Ukraine

Media coverage

The event will be streamed live on the NATO website. 

Transcripts of the Secretary General’s remarks, as well as pictures, will be available on the  NATO website. Video will be available for free download from the  NATO Multimedia Portal after the event.

For more information:

For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office

For more information on the programme and media access to Vilnius Summit with B9 and Nordic countries, please contact media@president.lt.

Follow us on X: @NATO, @SecGenNATO and @NATOPress

The conference, hosted at the Multinational Joint Warfare Centre (MJWC) by the Chief of Turkish General Staff General Metin Gürak, included discussions on ways to strengthen peace, security, and military cooperation. It gathered the CHODs, high level authorities and senior military officials from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye, Croatia, and Slovenia. Participants were addressed by the Vice President of Türkiye, Cevdet Yılmaz.

In his intervention, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee emphasised the strategic importance of the Balkans and stated: “This region continues to be among NATO’s top priorities.” He also highlighted the benefits and need for continued military cooperation between Balkan countries, stressing that “dialogue on doctrine, tactics, and even procurement pathways can help avoid duplication and foster interoperability.”

This year’s conference focused on “The Vision for Use of Uncrewed Systems in the Future Operating Environment” and was an opportunity to exchange views on strengthening military cooperation as well as opportunities and challenges related to uncrewed systems. The program addressed the development of autonomous technologies, artificial intelligence-supported decision-making mechanisms, human-machine cooperation on the battlefield, and the technological, strategic, and ethical aspects of uncrewed systems.

Over the course of the conference Admiral Cavo Dragone also held several bilateral meetings to discuss current security challenges, preparations to NATO Summit and the upcoming Military Committee Conference.

Since its creation in 2007, the Balkan Countries CHODs Conference has been an important regional military forum where the promotion of cooperation, stability, and confidence among the Balkan countries has been paramount. It has confirmed the commitment of all members to provide timely and efficient responses to diverse security challenges and threats in the region.