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NATO says its next summit will take place 8-9 July 2016 in Warsaw, Poland. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who made the announcement Friday, said the meeting "comes at a crucial time for the alliance, as the tectonic plates of Euro-Atlantic security have shifted", referring to Russia’s actions in Ukraine and the threat presented by the Islamic State in the Middle East and North Africa.
The NATO leaders last met in Wales in September 2014. They agreed on a Readiness Action Plan to adapt the 28-nation alliance to the new security environment.
The leaders agreed then to hold their next summit in Warsaw. The Polish capital is the former host of the Warsaw Pact, that existed until the Soviet bloc collapsed in 1991. Poland has earmarked 33.6 billion euros ($42 billion) to upgrade its military forces over the next decade, which includes missile defences and anti-aircraft systems, armoured personnel carriers and submarines as well as combat drones.
Earlier this month, Poland and the Baltic states said they were seeking permanent NATO deployments on their soil to counter increased Russian military activity, and a Polish internal document suggested the matter may be raised at the summit. NATO is said to be “deeply concerned” about Russia’s statements on the possible stationing of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems in Crimea.