Stoltenberg: Today we open a new chapter for our Alliance

«“Today, we are opening a new chapter for our Alliance,” said the Secretary General. of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, in the press conference he gave after the completion of the work of the NATO summit in Brussels.

Jens Stoltenberg said it was a “very good meeting” during which the US president sent a strong message about America’s commitment to NATO and all leaders agreed that in an age of global competition, Europe and North America should to remain strong together in NATO. “Especially at a time when authoritarian regimes like Russia and China are challenging the rule-based order,” he said.

A day before US President Joe Biden met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, the NATO secretary general stressed that the Alliance’s relationship with Russia is at its lowest point since the Cold War. “Moscow’s aggression is a threat to our security. NATO remains committed to the dual approach of defense and dialogue. “We will keep our defenses strong while we remain ready to speak.”

Besides, the G.G. NATO referred to “China’s growing influence” as a “challenge” to the Alliance’s security, and leaders agreed that it needed to be addressed. “We are concerned about China’s coercive policies that run counter to the fundamental values ​​enshrined in the Washington Treaty,” he said. He noted that China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal with more warheads and more advanced systems. At the same time, he stressed that China is cooperating militarily with Russia, including through exercises in the Euro-Atlantic area. “We are also concerned about China’s use of misinformation,” Stoltenberg said, noting that NATO leaders called on China to live up to its international commitments and to act responsibly in the international system.

NATO: China’s ‘challenges’ and ‘threats’ at focus of summit

NATO leaders denounced China’s “systemic challenges” in a joint statement issued after their meeting in Brussels today, taking a hard line on Beijing.

This was the first summit attended by US President Joe Biden at the international body for which his predecessor, Donald Trump, was derogatory.

The new US president urged other leaders to resist China’s authoritarianism and growing military power, shifting the focus to the Alliance formed to defend Europe from the Cold War-era Soviet Union.

The final announcement, paving the way for the Alliance’s common policy, came a day after the G7, the Group of Seven most industrialized nations, issued a statement on human rights in China and Taiwan that Beijing considers slanders it.

“China ‘s stated ambitions and dynamic stance pose systemic challenges to the international, rule – based, order – and security – related areas of the alliance,” the final statement said.

Biden also told his European allies that the Alliance’s mutual defense pact was a “sacred obligation” for the United States – changing tones as Trump threatened to leave NATO and accused other countries of not contributing as much as they needed to. their defense. “I want the whole of Europe to know that the United States is here. “NATO is crucial to us,” Biden said.

THE German Chancellor Angela Merkel – attended her last meeting since he will not run for office again in the September election – he described Biden’s arrival as the opening of a new chapter. He added that it was important to see China as a potential threat, but maintained the prospect of a relationship with it. “If you look at cyber threats and hybrid threats, if you look at cooperation between Russia and China, you just can’t ignore China. “But we should not overestimate it, we need to find the right balance,” he commented.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said China’s growing military presence, from the Baltic to Africa, meant the Alliance needed to be prepared. “China is coming closer to us. “We see them in cyberspace, we see China in Africa, but we also see China investing too much in our own critical infrastructure,” he said, referring to ports and telecommunications networks. “We must respond together as an alliance,” he said.

Stoltenberg also said the leaders had agreed to increase their countries’ contributions to NATO’s small, common budget, overcoming France’s initial objections.

According to the secretary general, NATO has not decided who will take over the management of Kabul International Airport, after the withdrawal of allied forces from Afghanistan. NATO has pledged to provide temporary financial support to Hamid Karzai International Airport, and Stoltenberg said Turkey could play a key role there.

Turkey has said it is ready to take over security at the airport, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss the issue in talks with the presidents of the United States and France.