Attending a meeting with the EU College of Commissioners in Brussels on Wednesday (15 November 2023), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for being a driving force behind the NATO-EU partnership. He said that both organisations have a lot in common, sharing the same values and facing the same challenges. Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted that NATO and the EU have done more together this year, including working towards lasting stability in the Western Balkans, tackling disinformation and advancing their strategic partnership in areas like military mobility, cyber and space. The Secretary General said that both organisations sent a strong message to President Putin that we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes.
NATO and the EU signed in January a new joint declaration to address a broader range of issues, including growing geostrategic competition, resilience and the protection of critical infrastructure. They also set up a NATO-EU Taskforce on Resilience of Critical Infrastructure to reduce vulnerabilities and dependencies on authoritarian regimes like Russia and China; and to boost the resilience of supply chains and technology. The Secretary General said that the war in Ukraine demonstrates the need to ramp up industrial production of key ammunition and welcomed the EU's efforts to increase production capacity and joint procurement.
Mr. Stoltenberg said that as instability grows with brutal wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the ongoing threat of terrorism, a climate crisis and authoritarian regimes threating the international order, we need strong institutions like NATO and the European Union. He stressed that together, Europe and North America can defend our democratic values, keep our people safe and our nations strong.
