Time to Sign EU-NATO Declaration Is Now, Stoltenberg Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The time has come for a new EU-NATO declaration to be signed, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after Monday's meeting with European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.
"NATO-EU cooperation contributes to security and stability, so we believe it is time to agree on a new joint declaration to develop the partnership," Stolteberg tweeted, RIA Novosti reported.
The EU-NATO joint declaration was supposed to be signed back in 2021, but the signing did not take place for unknown reasons.
This summer, the EU said it expected progress in negotiations between the alliance and NATO on a new joint declaration of cooperation after the approval of the European defense strategy "Strategic Compass" and the adoption of a new strategic concept for the alliance at the Madrid summit in June this year.
It is noteworthy that the new European strategy provides for the creation of an EU rapid reaction force that can operate autonomously from NATO. At the same time, EU representatives emphasize that NATO remains the main organization for ensuring the security of Europe .
According to European sources, the new EU-NATO joint declaration will have to reflect the “geopolitical context”, new and existing areas of cooperation, including cyber security, space security, malicious technologies, the impact of climate change on security, the fight against disinformation and interference in internal affairs, cooperation in the field of defense planning.
