The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, emphasised on Tuesday 12 November the importance of cooperation between the EU and NATO, in response to the French President's attacks on the Alliance, which he deemed to be “brain-dead” (see EUROPE 12365/31).
“EU-NATO relations have never been stronger than today and we help each other”, said Ms Mogherini, after an EU Council in Defence format during which ministers met with the Alliance's Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană. “The common assessment that we share is that EU-NATO cooperation has never been so positive, or so solid. We have looked at various issues where we can even improve it further”, she said. According to Ms Mogherini, a strong EU will help the Alliance to become stronger and vice versa.
The day before, when they arrived at the Foreign Affairs Council, ministers had already given their support to NATO. “I agree with the French President that we need to think about how we can do more in terms of our own security, but we want to do this in conjunction with NATO and not against them”, emphasised German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas. According to his Luxembourg counterpart, Jean Asselborn, Europe is “unable to defend itself and therefore to take the place” of the Alliance. However, he did also acknowledge that Turkish action in Syria did not conform with the values protected by the Alliance and therefore that “Macron (was) right when he criticised the lack of coordination in NATO”. Mr Asselborn added that the military alliance could only survive if coordination were to take place in a standard way.
For his part, Slovak Minister Miroslav Lajcak expressed his opposition to the French remarks, saying that Mr Macron's statement did “not help". "We need NATO. It is a guarantee of our security and, of course, a great demonstration of our unity”, he explained. His Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlic Radman, also emphasised the need to have the Alliance. “We hope NATO will do its homework. I really believe in the future of NATO, in shared values such as the EU, and in a framework to protect our values, peace, stability, etc.”, he explained.
According to the Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, “it is good to have NATO, which continues to develop and to show vital signs”, a reference to the state of brain death as described by Mr Macron. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)