NATO News

The latest edition of the NATO Innovation Challenge was launched on Monday (19 August 2019), under the theme: “Optimising leader development”. The competition aims to tap into pools of private sector innovators (entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, scientists, coders, etc.) to find new, creative and efficient ways for NATO to respond to security challenges and potential crises.

NATO's Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defence site in Romania completed a long-planned update on Friday (9 August 2019).

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg paid his respects at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Thursday (8 August 2019), concluding an official visit to Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Stoltenberg laid a wreath in honour of the Australian armed forces and those members who lost their lives in conflict. Later, the Secretary General addressed an event hosted by the Institute for Regional Security and the Australian National University's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Australia’s contributions to international security and its deepening partnership with NATO in a visit to Sydney on Wednesday (7 August 2019). Mr. Stoltenberg met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, and signed a renewed partnership agreement between NATO and Australia with Minister Reynolds aboard the HMAS Hobart. “Australia is a highly valued partner for the Alliance,” said the Secretary General, pointing to the country’s training deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg began a two-day visit to New Zealand on Monday (5 August 2019) with stops in Christchurch and Wellington.

The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to Australia between Tuesday 6 August and Thursday 8 August 2019.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg marked the end of the INF Treaty with a press conference on Friday (2 August 2019), stressing that NATO's response will be "measured and responsible", ensuring credible and effective deterrence and defence.

On Friday, 2 August 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will hold a press point on the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.

The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to New Zealand on Monday 5 August and Tuesday 6 August 2019.

On Wednesday, 31 July 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will meet the Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany, Ms. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer at his residence in Brussels.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will give a series of three public addresses in New Zealand and Australia between 5 August and 8 August 2019.

Two of NATO's standing maritime task groups changed flagship duties during a port visit to Rota, Spain on Friday (26 July 2019). Standing NATO Maritime Group One is now led by the United States' guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley, and Standing NATO Maritime Group Two is now led by the Canadian frigate HMCS Halifax. Since the beginning of the year, the groups have completed patrols and exercises in the North Atlantic as well as the Mediterranean, Norwegian, North, Black and Baltic Seas.

Women can play a key role in securing peace and security. Ensuring gender equality is also important for the development of our societies. Clare Hutchinson, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, explains more about NATO’s commitment to these issues.

The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach attended the annual Air and Space Power Conference in London (18 July) before heading to the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford (19 to 21 July).

We condemn the seizure of two commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This represents a clear challenge to international freedom of navigation. We urge Iran to immediately release the ships and their crew. The UK has made clear that their priority is to address the situation through dialogue and diplomacy. NATO supports all diplomatic efforts to resolve this situation. All Allies remain concerned by Iran's destabilising activities.

Over 2,000 forces and 27 ships are taking part in exercise Breeze 2019 in the Black Sea. The Bulgarian-led maritime exercise, which began on 12 July, involves forces from 12 NATO Allies – Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has decided to appoint Mircea Geoana from Romania as the next Deputy Secretary General. He will replace Rose Gottemoeller from the United States, who took up her position in October 2016.

Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, and the Military Committee welcome the new Director General of the NATO International Military Staff (DGIMS), Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Wiermann.

The Niagara Falls were illuminated in NATO blue on Sunday night (14 July 2019), marking the Alliance’s 70th anniversary and the start of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s visit to North America. At 10:00pm local time, both sides of the Falls were floodlit in deep blue – the colour of NATO’s official flag, adopted in 1953.