Secretary General: NATO-EU cooperation has reached unprecedented levels

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had discussions at the European Commission on Tuesday (15 December 2020) about how to further strengthen NATO’s cooperation with the European Union. While the Secretary General often meets with EU leaders and EU Commissioners, this is the first time that a NATO Secretary General attended a meeting of the College of Commissioners, a sign of the deepening partnership between NATO and the EU.

Speaking with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the meeting, Mr. Stoltenberg said that NATO-EU cooperation has reached unprecedented levels, including on military mobility, cyber defence, countering disinformation, and in supporting partners, from Afghanistan to Ukraine.

Looking to the future, the Secretary General said that NATO and the EU could work even more closely on issues such as cyber, resilience, and climate change.  He also explained there was now an opportunity to re-energize the transatlantic partnership.  The Secretary General said: “I don’t believe in the US alone, I don’t believe in Europe alone. I strongly believe in North America and Europe working together. Because we share the same values, we need to stand together in a more unpredictable world. In uncertain times, we need strong international institutions, like the European Union – like the Commission – and NATO, and when we work together. we are stronger and more capable of managing the difficulties we face together.”