Q&A session with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, Mr. Krišjānis Kariņš during the virtual event Riga Conference 2020.
Transcript
Thank you, Mr Stoltenberg. We move now to the question and answer part of our session a chance for our participants to address their questions to Mr Stoltenberg’s Mr. Carhenge. Uh, you could do that by clicking on the blue button in the bottom right hand corner of your ego conference screen and writing your question, which I will then address to Mr Currency. Mr Stoltenberg for the both of them. But to get the ball rolling, we have two participants already lined up. Will address their questions personally by a video link. The first question is from Raina Granola Granola, a student at the Inter of International Relations at Riga Strategia Universe. Start, please. They’re not. The floor is yours. Thank you. Good morning, Your Excellency’s, um, as Paul’s mentioned, my name is Renato Guru and I’m a student of international relations in the studies University. My question is addressed to Secretary General. Could you elaborate on the role of disinformation and social media on youth radicalization? Is NATO considering to expand its scope towards defensive tactics in the New Age, global war on terror? We have recently seen dramatic developments in this area in NATO member states. How far does the situation need to go before there are NATO repercussions? Thank you. Yeah, we are taking this information very seriously because we Seymour arm or disinformation. We see it from non government organizations from from terrorist organizations and from state organizations on. Of course we need to respond and I think that the best responses So of course, to make sure that facts the truth is available because I strongly believe that in the long run, the truth will prevail. So we’re providing facts. Were helping allies Thio to push back Onda. We actually are in regular operating a home page that NATO where we actually counter a lot off this information we see out there, especially in cyberspace, on social media. We also help to increase the awareness and different capitals about the seriousness off this information in different forms. Onda course. This is also partly linked to what we do in cyberspace and protecting our networks. But in the long run, I actually believe that the most important thing we can do to counter this information is to make sure that we have a free and independent press, that we have a journalist who are asking the difficult questions who are checking their sources who are not victims for this information campaigns. So the whole idea of having strong democratic institutions having a strong, independent free press, I think is actually the best well makers as little vulnerable as possible for for this information on, that’s perhaps the best bulwark against this information. Thank you, Mr Stoltenberg. The second question will be from Anita. Priscilla. She’s a lieutenant colonel in the lobby and National Armed Forces. Lieutenant Colonel. Good morning, sir. Um, I would like to address my question to Mr Stoltenberg. Onda off course. At first I would like to say that we appreciate all NATO efforts to secure our country. Onda Azul. I am connected very much toe military exercises. Onda. We all know that combat readiness off NATO troops is very crucial. Onda. It is mostly maintained through the exercises and collective training. And in this slide when, um, a lot of exercises are downsizing or even some of them are consult. I have a question how the current situation affected NATO troops elective training and they come with readiness. And the second part of the question is, in your opinion, which should be done in the future. What lessons we have learned from this situation. Thank you. First of all, I told agree that readiness is key on. Therefore, we have been extremely focused on how to increase the readiness off forces. The NATO forces and of course, general, uh, introduce a cultural readiness into our different allies on their forces. Uh, when it comes to a lot on the Baltic region, I think we have to understand that just the fact that we now have multinational combat read the NATO troops in Latvia has significantly increased the readiness. I remember well when we prepared for the NATO summit in Warsaw in 2016 that it was not obvious that all NATO allies we’re going to agree on a decision to deploy four battalions in Poland and the Baltic countries off combat Ready troops Uh, that Zatz what we have now and that’s a huge improvement of readiness. The fact that we have these troops there every day on also the fact that there are multinational, uh demonstrates that NATO is they’re working together with the host nation logical, working together with you. I think that’s a very strong demonstration off readiness then of course, we need exercises on. Therefore, we have made sure that we are able to uphold our operational readiness throughout the pandemic. But Thio minimize the risk for for for the spread of the virus for for for actually, uh, situation with that could undermine the strength of our forces. We had we have been forced, thio implement some measures meaning adapting, scaling down some of the exercises if this continues. So of course, we need to look into how we can scale up on doom or exercises with the pandemic. But of course the main goal for all of us eyes that we, at some stage, you know, within a not too distant future are able to find a vaccine, are able thio deal with pandemics so we can return to um, or normal behavior and nor normal exercise patterns. But I think my mind messages Yes, we have adopted some exercises, but overall, NATO has been able to maintain operational readiness. We have been able to maintain our mission’s operations the battle groups in in the Baltic countries, the air policing, our maritime patrols, eso we are there operating as a strong alliance in the midst off the pandemic. Thank you, Mr Stoltenberg. I see the questions they’re coming in, but I’m gonna take advantage of my position. Is the moderator toe ask question that’s been troubling me in the last weeks. We see military conflict breaking out in Nagorno Karabakh over the last years. Ukraine, Libya, Syria, the number of military conflicts on the European perimeter are growing. And I was one I wanted to ask you. Do you see the covert pandemic as something that increases the risk of military conflict, or is something that decreases it, or is Are things pretty much staying the same? And that’s a question to both of you. Uh, thank you very much. Um well, I don’t see in any way that it would decrease, uh, conflict, but what it does is it increased stress in any society? S o. Uh, it’s hard to say. For example, in a corner, Carlebach. I’m unaware that this is a direct result of the pandemic on how much the pandemic actually affected Azeri and Armenian thinking in this may be a little to none, but what’s clear is that at least in our societies, in the Western societies, it is causing people. Uh, thio. It’s another fault line. Eso. Now there’s the question. Do you believe that it’s a conspiracy or do you believe it’s a disease? Do you believe that their measures that could be taken against it so wearing masks or not wearing masks? And these all the completist sized as another visible way to drive societies apart At the same time as the health care system is under stress, the economy is under stress and the educational system is under stress, So it certainly is affecting our societies, the democratic societies. That’s very clear. Whether it’s stoking mawr conflict is unclear, but it certainly is not helping eso. I think it only increases our own challenges, not the least of which is unity within our societies, because that’s my entire premise and argument is that we in the West need to be unified because the difficulties are rising by themselves and if we are disunited, that is our weakness and their strength. So the pandemic is actually hampering unity because it’s providing yet another fault line. Thank you, Mister Stoltenberg’s from NATO headquarters is covered, increasing the risks of military conflict. At least the pandemic is putting heavy pressure in our societies and not only on NATO allies but societies and countries all all over the world on Dove course that can at some stage also increase the risk for potential conflicts. But I will not speculate about too much about the link between the pandemic potential crisis risks in the future. What I will say is actually the same as the prime minister, that that regardless off how much we believe there is a risk or a link between pandemic and potential risks in the future, we need to be prepared. It has proven over the decades extremely hard to predict what will be the next crisis. Is it Ukraine, or is it the 9 11 or is it uh pandemic, or is it whatever it is? The thing is that we need to be prepared for the unforeseen. So instead of being so focused on trying to predict the next crisis, which has proved extremely difficult, we need to be always prepared for sir prices for crisis on then as long as we stand together, as long as we have a strong alliance a long way, stand up for the principal on one for all and all for one, then we are partly able to reduce the risk for any threats and challenges and crisis because any potential adversary knows that we are together. We defend each other on second. If there is a threat, If there is a challenge to NATO allies, we are much more able to deal with it as long as we stand together. And the pandemic demonstrates that because NATO allies have provided significant help to each other on Do we have seen how the military across the lines have bean critical on extremely helpful in supporting the civilian efforts to cope with the pandemic? Hey, thank you. A questions come in from our audience, uh, for Prime Minister Cottage states close their borders and block the export of vital military medical inventory during the cove It How can we prevent similar reflexes if security threats arise? Thank you. I think that’s a a very pertinent question. But what? We have seen a T least in Europe. So in the first, let’s call it a wave. In the spring, the quick reflex was to close borders to stop the virus, and it had the knock on negative effect of actually impeding flows off goods. Andi No one intended that, but we had 40 hour longer lines on many member state borders, which included not only food but also vital medical supply chains. But what we’re seeing now in the second wave is that despite the numbers being actually far worse than in the first wave, we’re not closing our borders because also assed heads of state and government. We we’ve spoken a lot about this, that it’s vital to keep our borders open. That’s not going to solve Theo issue and to cooperate with one another. So on some level, we have learned from you could say it’s a mistake or it z something that hadn’t been thought about before. But if we were to need at any point to restrict the movement of people, say, for a pandemic for this pandemic, it is vital that we keep always the supply routes open, and the difficulty is that on the border controls, border controls air not generally set for people and goods being completely separated because the drivers of those goods were also people, so everyone is being checked. One thing is borders, but I think what the question is also asking is about military, about medical supplies. Some states had large reserves that they didn’t need at the moment in other states had an emergency, and but there was a lack of willingness to share in some cases. Do you see that as a problem? I see that is a very big problem. And I also see that this crisis has shown that even within Europe, we have a lack of capability. Thio supply ourselves So, for example, for the personal protection of quitting the P pes uh, many countries, including my own, we had to turn to China to purchase face masks and gloves and and and, uh, plastic coats for doctors etcetera because there simply is not enough supply capability in Europe. And I think this is a question that we need to return to. What are the vital industries that we need to make certain that they exist in Europe? I think that on the medical supply issue, probably markets will have adjusted and companies will be investing and maybe say with with with face masks. This issue now seems to be resolved. There seems to be plenty of supply also made in the U supply today but I think we need toe. Look ahead. What other kinds of supplies do we have? A security in military. I think the answer there would be Yes. Um, what about in the food chain? What about in other chains? And this is not not resolved. And I think it has been a very big problem. Ah, question for Mr Stoltenberg, societal resilience is increasingly becoming a precondition of security. One example of that is high hybrid threats that undermine solidarity and societies. How will NATO expanded scope to meet this need? The one part of NATO 2030? This this’ll reflection on on on on the future of NATO will also address resilience. Onda resilience has become more and more important for NATO. It’s actually very old topic. It’s its’s enshrined in our founding treaty, the Washington D back in 1949. But it has been not so high on our agenda over the last years. But now the importance of resilience has just increased because we have seen s O many threats and challenges which are not the classical military threats, but hybrid cyber threats on that illustrates the importance of having strong societies. We cannot have a strong defense without having strong societies. That is demonstrated by the importance off, for instance, civilian infrastructure for military operations. But also, of course, we’re running the civilian society As such, the majority off the movements of equipment on DSO olders and so on that has to take place in the crisis will be done by civilian means of transport on. Therefore, we need civilian infrastructure, transport, airfields, harbors and so on which are functioning which are which are resilient in terms off crisis Onda conflict We are thio to deal with that We are we have developed something we call baseline requirements for resilience in different strands like like telecommunications, continuation of government health services but also, uh, infrastructure onda transportation, for instance Looking into telecommunications five g uh, to make sure way address issues like foreign ownership, foreign control eso we have certainty that all these systems are in place, uh, in especially in times of crisis, because there are so critical thio to the operation of our societies in general. But of course, also for any military operation. Okay, I understand, Mr Sultan, but it has to leave us in a couple of minutes, so I’ll address the next question to him. A swell, uh from the audience. Can NATO retain its credibility and successfully continue its mission in light of growing tensions among certain members? I think we have to understand that NATO is an alliance or 30 different allies from both sides of the Atlantic, with different political parties in power, with different history, different political cultures on. Therefore, there are differences between NATO allies. There’s no way to deny that a same time way have had differences before dating back to the suis crisis in 1956 or or or when Franz decided to leave the military cooperation in the 19 sixties in NATO or or the Iraq war in 2003. So if you look back could have bean many disagreements. Differences between NATO allies. Uh, the good thing is that despite these differences, we have always been able able to overcome them on tonight around our core task or core mission. And that is to defend and protect each other because we all know that we are safer and stronger. We understand together than when we are apart on. I’m absolutely confident that we were able to do that also this time. But again, NATO 2030 is about how to make sure that that happens on one of the ways to make sure that we are able to unite despite our differences is that we should actually use NATO more as a political lines. So when there are differences, we should sit down, discuss, try it away, trying to find ways forward on at least have open, uh, on the and transparent discussions about the challenges way. See when there are differences between NATO allies. Just thio illustrate that with one example, there are differences when it comes to the situation the eastern Mediterranean. And I’m of course, concerned about the tensions and disagreements we have seen between two highly valued in $8 Greece and Turkey. At the same time, we have used it as a platform. Thio develop what we call deconfliction mechanisms because with Mawr military presence in the eastern meant there is a risk for incidents for accidents on. We have to prevent that from happening and if it happens at least prevented from spiraling out of control. So So I welcome that Greece and Turkey have established at NATO because the meat here at NATO Everyday mechanisms Thio Communicate hotline 24 hour on using the NATO systems to at least reduce the risks for incidents and accidents on hopefully that also can help to pave the way for negotiations on the underlying issues underlying problems related to the continental shelf on DSO on. So the best thing would, of course, be if you can avoid differences, agree on all issues. But given the fact that we are different nations and sometimes have different positions, we need to use NATO as a platform to minimize the consequences on on find a way forward, despite our differences. And we have done that for more than 70 years and confident that we can do that also for many more decades to come. Okay. Thank you, Mr Stoltenberg. And thank you for participating in the conference. I understand you have to leave now, but we’ve been happy to have you here. Thank you. Thank you so much. Uh um