NATO Secretary General’s opening remarks at the press conference following the first day of the NATO Defence Ministers meetings, October 24, 2019.
Transcript
Good evening, the Secretary General on the first working session of the ministerial, and then we’ll have time for a few questions. Secretary General.
Good evening, NATO’s defense ministers discussed today a wide range of different issues, including the situation in northeast Syria. There are different views among allies, and we had a frank and open discussion. But we focused on the way forward. Over the last week, we have seen significant reduction in violence. We agree we must build on this to make progress in our efforts to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria. And we fully support UN-led efforts to reach a political solution. Ministers also agree that we need to maintain commitment to our missions and operations in the region. And we agree that we must safeguard the gains we have made in the fight against our common enemy, ISIS. Our training mission in Iraq helps to ensure that ISIS does not return. Our mission in Afghanistan helps to prevent the country from once again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists. All our missions and operations, from the Western Balkans to the Middle East, play a key role in our collective security. So I welcome that many allies have announced that they will maintain or increase their commitments to what we are doing together. We also took stock of NATO’s readiness initiative, the Four Thirties. That means allies committing 30 battalions, 30 air squadrons, and 30 combat ships to NATO within 30 days. We are making progress. I welcome that several allies announced contributions to this important initiative today, and I encourage all allies to continue to do so. Tonight, during our dinner, ministers will address hybrid threats, together with our partners, Finland, Sweden, as well as the European Union. Civilian infrastructure is a national responsibility, but resilience is important to all of us. So I expect ministers will agree an update to our baseline requirement for civilian telecommunications to ensure availability of reliable communication systems in peacetime, crisis, and conflict, and this includes 5G. With these requirements, ministers will agree the need for thorough risk assessments, including to identify and mitigate cyber threats as well as considering the consequences of foreign ownership, control or direct investment. This is important for our society. And with that, I am ready to take your questions.