NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, met on 10 January 2023 at NATO Headquarters to sign the third Joint Declaration on NATO-European Union cooperation.
Speaking at a press conference following the signing, Mr. Stoltenberg stressed the importance of NATO-EU cooperation in the context of the changed security environment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He further noted that the NATO-EU partnership “will become even more important once Finland and Sweden become full NATO members,” and that “with their accession, NATO will be protecting 96% of the citizens in the European Union, and a higher share of its territory than ever before.”
The leaders resolved to address growing geostrategic competition, resilience issues, and the protection of critical infrastructures. Other priority areas of work will include emerging and disruptive technologies, space, the security implications of climate change, foreign interference and information manipulation. The Secretary General underlined that the Joint Declaration “recognises the value of a more capable European defence that contributes positively to our security and is complementary to, and interoperable with, NATO.”
🆕 Now available: the Joint Declaration on #NATO–#EU Cooperation 🇪🇺
Read the full document here: https://t.co/jXsQ0RVeck pic.twitter.com/SxNiuXhoCd— Oana Lungescu (@NATOpress) January 10, 2023
The declaration condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the “gravest threat to Euro-Atlantic security in decades” which violates international law and the principles of the UN Charter, undermines European and global security and stability, and has exacerbated a food and energy crisis affecting billions of people around the world. It calls upon Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.
Related:
- For the sake of European stability, NATO needs to intervene in Ukraine: Opinion
- 83% of Ukrainians want to join NATO; 86% want to join the EU
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