NATO News

Heads of State and Government from all NATO Allies, plus invitee North Macedonia, are meeting in London on Wednesday (4 December 2019). Leaders are meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of the Alliance, and are expected to take a range of decisions to adapt NATO for the future.

NATO leaders are meeting in London on Wednesday (4 December 2019) to mark the 70th anniversary of the Alliance, and take decisions to adapt for the future.

“What we are bringing to this Alliance is a sense of urgency to stay true to our values and not be deterred by the world which is changing so rapidly,” Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană said.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg set out the key topics and themes for the London meeting of NATO leaders at a special event on Tuesday (3 December 2019). Speaking at NATO Engages: Innovating the Alliance, Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted that throughout its history, NATO has continued to adapt to a changing world.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II welcomed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the leaders of the Alliance’s 29 member countries to London at a Buckingham Palace reception on Tuesday evening (3 December 2019). The event comes ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of NATO leaders, where Allies are expected to take decisions to further strengthen and modernise the Alliance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with President Trump at Winfield House in London ahead of the Meeting of NATO Leaders on Tuesday (3 December 2019).

Allied Heads of State and Government are gathering in London on Tuesday (3 December 2019) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of NATO. In 1949, the United Kingdom was one of NATO’s twelve founding members and London was the home of NATO’s first headquarters. Leaders will take decisions to further strengthen the Alliance and continue its adaptation. This evening, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will host a reception for NATO leaders at Buckingham Palace.

On Tuesday, 3 December 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will meet the President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump, in London.

The Alliance is facing the most complex and unpredictable security environment since the end of the Cold War: with growing geo-political challenges, more sophisticated and disruptive cyber and hybrid threats, and exponential technological change rapidly transforming the way wars are fought and won.

On 28 and 29 November 2019, the NATO Defense College (NDC) Academic Advisory Board convened its 49th annual meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The AAB aims to advise the Commandant on ways in which to improve the academic, research and outreach activities of the College, to enhance links with NATO HQ and Allied Command Transformation, and to ensure that NDC outreach strategies contribute to those of the Alliance.

Ahead of the meeting of NATO Leaders in London to mark the Alliance’s 70th anniversary, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday (29 November 2019) gave details of large increases in Allied defence spending. Mr. Stoltenberg announced that in 2019 defence spending across European Allies and Canada increased in real terms by 4.6 %, making this the fifth consecutive year of growth. He also revealed that by the end of 2020, those Allies will have invested $130 billion more since 2016. Based on the latest estimates, the accumulated increase in defence spending by the end of 2024 will be $400 billion. Mr. Stoltenberg said: “This is unprecedented progress and it is making NATO stronger.’

NATO collects defence expenditure data from Allies on a regular basis and presents aggregates and subsets of this information. Each Ally's Ministry of Defence reports current and estimated future defence expenditure according to an agreed definition of defence expenditure.

On 28 November 2019, the Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Lieutenant General Scott Kindsvater attended a ceremony in Schleiden, Germany where he returned an accordion his grandfather found during World War II to the Kupp family.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday (28 November 2019) for a strategic discussion on strengthening the Alliance. “We just had good and open discussions addressing a wide range of issues, addressing how we can further strengthen and modernise the NATO Alliance,” said the Secretary General.

Ukrainian scientists, experts and government representatives took stock of Ukraine’s cooperation with NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme during an Information Day held at the Ministry of Education and Science in Kyiv on 21 November.

Following the earthquake that struck Albania on 26 November, EADRCC has received today (28 November 2019) a request for international assistance from that country.

From 25 to 27 November 2019, the Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) convened at NATO HQ for its 52nd plenary session. Brigadier General Zoltan Bubenik from the Czech Republic, the chairperson for COMEDS opened the Plenary. The Director of the Logistics and Resources Division of the NATO International Military Staff, Lieutenant General Vasileios Garmpis attended the meeting as the NATO Military Committee representative.

Allies and Australia’s Cyber Ambassador, Dr. Tobias Feakin, exchanged views on the evolving cyber threat landscape and ways of responding to it during a Cyber Defence Committee meeting taking place at NATO Headquarters on 29 November.

The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to Paris on Thursday, 28 November 2019.