NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in the just-released annual report of the alliance, addresses the role and need for a strong trans-Atlantic bond. These are his remarks.
In 2020, the Alliance – like the rest of the world – was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only did the virus threaten our societies and economies, it also magnified existing security trends and tensions. But it did not prevent NATO from doing its job: our ability to defend the Euro-Atlantic area remains undiminished, and throughout the year, the Alliance worked to help save lives and keep our people safe.
Across NATO, almost half a million troops supported the civilian response to the pandemic. We delivered much-needed medical equipment and supplies, transported patients and medical personnel, secured borders and built field hospitals to treat many thousands of patients. We established a pandemic response plan, a stockpile of medical supplies and a trust fund for the purchase of urgently needed items. Ventilators and other equipment from the stockpile have been delivered to Allies and partners. Throughout the year, potential adversaries have been seeking to exploit the crisis to destabilise our societies and undermine our democracies. Based on polls commissioned by NATO in 2020, half the population of Allied countries thought security threats to their nation had increased due to the pandemic.
Against this background, NATO’s priority has been to make sure the health crisis did not become a security crisis. We continued to deter aggression, to defend our Allies, and to project stability beyond Alliance borders, keeping our forces safe, vigilant and ready. We sustained our missions and deployments – from the battlegroups in the east of the Alliance, to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. And we continued to cooperate with a network of partner countries and international organisations to tackle common security challenges. At the same time, we are working to prepare the Alliance for the future.
We launched the NATO 2030 initiative, aimed at making our strong Alliance even stronger in an unpredictable world. One thing is certain: we can only keep our nations safe if North America and Europe work together, in strategic solidarity. The level of support for the transatlantic bond remains high, with 79 per cent of citizens believing that the collaboration between North America and Europe on safety and security matters is important. A strong transatlantic bond is the cornerstone of our security and the only way to tackle great challenges, including Russia’s aggressive actions, international terrorism, more complex cyber attacks, the rise of China, disruptive technologies and the security implications of climate change.
These challenges are too big for any country or continent to tackle alone. Not Europe alone, and not North America alone – but Europe and North America together. That is why at the NATO Summit later this year, we will set an ambitious and forward-looking transatlantic agenda to future-proof our Alliance.
It is often a frequent simple fact that people who want to be healthy need to eat healthy; but promises of more attractive skin, taut abs and increased don’t always measure up to the allure of a steaming-hot plate of Buffalo wings and a draft Pilsner. levitra shop uk http://amerikabulteni.com/page/133/ cheap viagra canadian Online pharmacy has a wide range of medicines based on allergies, Alzheimer, antibiotics, antifugal,anxiety,cancer,hairloss,high blood pressure, insomnia, diabetes skin care and much more of that. The experts use their hands to treat the ailment muscle, joint or any nerve discount viagra pain. sildenafil online without prescription Extremely minor proportions are additionally exuded by the adrenal glands.First, we must reinforce the unity between Europe and North America, which derives from our promise to defend each other. Therefore, we must strengthen our commitment to our collective defence and fund more of deterrence and defence on NATO territory together. We must also strengthen our political unity, by committing to consult on all issues that affect our security, using NATO as the unique platform that brings Europe and North America together every day. To chart a common course going forward and reaffirm the fundamentals of our Alliance, we should also agree to update NATO’s Strategic Concept.
Second, we must broaden our approach to security. To keep our people safe, we need not only strong militaries, but also strong societies. So we need a more integrated approach to resilience, with concrete targets on issues such as critical infrastructure and communications, including 5G and undersea cables. We also need to maintain our technological edge, to remain competitive in a more competitive world. Lastly, we must protect the international rules-based order, which is being challenged by authoritarian powers. The rise of China is a defining issue, with potential consequences for our security, prosperity and way of life. That is why we should deepen our relationships with close partners like Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, and reach out to other like-minded nations around the world.
Protecting the rules-based order starts with protecting our values at home. So we must strengthen our democracies, bolster our institutions and recommit to our values.
We have a unique opportunity to open a new chapter in transatlantic relations. And we all have a responsibility to seize it.
Photo: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg