This briefing paper presents an overview of the NATO Defence Ministers meeting that took place at NATO HQ, Brussels on 3-4 June 2014. It is limited to information that NATO published on the event and what is publicly known from other sources (mainly press briefings by the Secretary General and individual Defence Ministers).
Key decisions taken:
- A package of long-term measures to strengthen Ukraine’s armed forces and enhance the defence reform process;
- A Readiness Action Plan to be developed to improve the NATO Response Force;
- US announce a European Reassurance Initiative of up to 1 billion dollars to further reinforce collective defence;
- A new and enhanced cyber-defence policy;
- Approval of Germany’s initiative on ‘Framework Nations’;
- UK to lead seven allies on creation of a Joint Expeditionary Force;
- NATO’s counter-piracy mission, Ocean Shield, extended until 2016;
- Georgia moves closer to NATO, but Membership Action Plan (MAP) unlikely at Wales Summit; and
- Transition plans in Afghanistan reviewed, but decision deferred on numbers for proposed post-2014 NATO Training Mission, 'Resolute Support'.
For further details, please see the attached briefing paper (pdf).