NATO News

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya Ghassan Salamé at NATO headquarters on Monday (13 May 2019) for talks on the security situation in Libya.

On Monday, 13 May 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet the President of Ukraine, H.E. Mr. Petro Poroshenko, at NATO Headquarters.

On Monday, 13 May 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet the Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, H.E. Mr. Ghassan Salamé, at NATO Headquarters.

Clare Hutchinson, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security visited Colombia (25-26 April 2019) to participate in an international seminar on gender and territorial security. While in Bogota, Ms. Hutchinson also attended a number of high level meetings, including with the Colombian Vice Minister of Defence Ms Diana Abaunza Millares and the Head of the Colombian Army Gender Office, Lieutenant Colonel Claudia Martinez.

Ships from nine NATO countries are taking part in live-fire air and missile defence drills off the coast of Scotland from Tuesday (7 May 2019). Exercise Formidable Shield will take place at the United Kingdom’s Hebrides training range, in the Western Isles of Scotland and will run until 19 May. Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO will conduct the exercise on behalf of the US Navy.

On 6 May 2019, a high-level delegation of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate visited NATO Headquarters in Brussels to discuss the latest emerging threats of terrorism, foreign terrorist fighters and returnees, as well as possible areas for enhancing cooperation. Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra (Chair of the Counter Terrorism Committee, or CTC) and Michèle Coninsx (Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, or CTED), accompanied by CTED’s Chief of Section for Europe, Middle East and Central Asia, A.E. Seif El-Dawla, briefed NATO diplomatic representatives and officials, including Dr. Antonio Missiroli (Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges), Robert Weaver (Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges) and James Appathurai (Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy).

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, with the 29 Permanent Representatives of the North Atlantic Council marked the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Dialogue on Monday (6 May 2019) in Ankara, Turkey. They were joined by the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia and senior diplomats of the seven nations (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) participating in the partnership forum.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked Turkey for its strong contributions to the Alliance and emphasized that NATO stands in solidarity with Turkey in a visit to Ankara on Monday (6 May 2019).

At the invitation of the Turkish authorities, the North Atlantic Council (NAC), chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, will visit Turkey on 6 and 7 May 2019. The visit takes place in the context of the 25th anniversary of the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) with the participation of representatives from NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue partners.

NATO conducts Crisis Management Exercise (CMX).

“For seven decades, NATO has defended the way of life, and the values that underpin it: freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. This makes the job of SACEUR one of the most challenging – and most important – military positions in the world,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today (3 May 2019), during the change of command ceremony for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Mons (Belgium).

On Friday, 3 May 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will attend the change of command ceremony for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Mons, Belgium.

NATO was honoured by the Atlantic Council on Tuesday (30 April 2019) with a Distinguished Leadership Award, acknowledging the Alliance’s role in “assuring peace, stability, and security in Europe and North America for the last seventy years”. Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller accepted the award on behalf of NATO at a ceremony in Washington D.C.

Four Italian Eurofighters are scheduled to deploy to Romania in early May, as part of NATO’s enhanced air policing mission. The jets will operate alongside the MiG-21s of their Romanian hosts. The air patrols will form an important part of the Alliance’s role to maintain security in the Black Sea region.

The NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, will travel to the United States of America the week of Monday, 29 April. In addition to her official meetings, the Deputy Secretary General will participate in a number of events.

“There can be no protection without participation, because, at its root sexual violence is a gendered issue,” Ms Clare Hutchinson, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security said on Tuesday (23 April 2019), during her address to the United Nations Security Council‘s open debate on sexual violence in conflict.

Lt Gen Jan Broeks, Director General of NATO’s International Military Staff visited Azerbaijan from 16-19 April 2019. During his visit, the Director General met with the Minister of Defence, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, the Chief of the International Military Cooperation Department, Major General Huseyn Mahmudov and the Commanders of the War College of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces and the Military Academy. While visiting the War College and the Military Academy, Lt Gen Broeks used the opportunity to address students and faculty members.

Hungary will lead NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission from May 2019, with JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft based at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania. Spain will augment the mission with F-18s at Šiauliai, while the United Kingdom will deploy Eurofighter aircraft to Ämari Air Base in Estonia. This will be the 50th Baltic Air Policing deployment since 2004. NATO member countries have taken turns safeguarding Baltic airspace since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the Alliance in 2004.

NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Lithuania began exercise Eager Leopard in Pabrade on Wednesday (17 April 2019). The exercise mobilises around 650 troops, including Czech, Dutch, German and Norwegian forces. It provides an opportunity for the battlegroup to enhance its readiness, testing its ability to deploy troops and equipment.

Quantum technology will soon change our security landscape. While this technology could represent a ground-breaking solution to complex problems in a number of fields, its potential can also be disruptive. NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme is supporting two projects to secure our digital communications for the post-quantum era.