NATO nations must use the alliance in a more political way by 2030, Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, calling for the courage to “decide and act if necessary for our shared security”.
The North Alliance has to be more politically united, said Jens Stoltenberg during his recent statement regarding the future of the bloc. Only being united power, NATO is able to bring more political topics at the negotiation table.
Elaborating the NATO2030 project, alliance’s chief held his first meeting with a group of political experts tasked with reflecting on the future of NATO. Agreed by bloc leaders in December, the reflection process needs to strengthen the alliance’s political dimension.
According to Mr Stoltenberg, the aim of the project is “not to reinvent NATO, but to make it even stronger militarily and politically” to be able to “tackle the challenges of tomorrow.” Surely, among these challenges is Russian and Chinese threats.
NATO chief warned member states to “resist the temptation of national solutions,” and pointed out that neither Europe alone nor America alone, faced these challenges.
Russia’s continued military activity, the ISIS terror threat, and propaganda campaigns of state and non-state actors as the biggest challenges NATO would have to face in the coming decade.
Describing China, Stoltenberg also admitted it “is shifting the global race of power,” but insisted that “we don’t see China as an enemy.”
NATO boss also welcomed efforts by the EU for a stronger security policy, but remained confident that the “EU can’t replace NATO in any way.”
The expert group will offer recommendations to reinforce NATO’s unity and increase political coordination between the allies.
The group composed of ten experts is co-chaired by Thomas de Maiziere, former German Interior Minister, and Wess Mitchell, former US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs.
