NATO Foreign Ministers agreed at a videoconference meeting on Thursday 2 April to increase the Alliance’s role in coordinating the response to COVID-19.
“All of the Allies are affected by this crisis, but some have more capabilities than others; the effect of the crisis [...] will not be the same for all. [...] This will allow resources to be reallocated to those Allies who need them most and who see the crisis reaching its peak”, explained the organisation’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.
He thus announced that the Allies have decided to ask the Supreme Allied Commander to provide coordination in order to accelerate and increase the support that member countries can give to each other.
Mr Stoltenberg said this would involve identifying airlift capabilities for the delivery of medical supplies, coordinating excess capacity and supplies and better matching of requests for support with offers of aid from Allies and partners.
The Supreme Commander will also introduce simplified procedures for rapid air mobility, in coordination with Eurocontrol, using the NATO call sign for military rescue flights.
Defence Ministers, for their part, will hold discussions in mid-April to take stock of the support provided, to take further decisions if necessary, and to begin to assess medium- and long-term consequences, including on the Alliance’s resilience.
In a joint statement, the Allies stressed their cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus, citing in particular the provision of health professionals, hospital beds, essential medical equipment, and best practices and ideas on ways to combat “this deadly disease”. They said they were working together to ensure that the public has access to timely, transparent and accurate information, “which is critical to overcoming this pandemic and to combating disinformation”. This fight against disinformation is being carried out in particular in conjunction with the EU. “Because we need a coordinated and comprehensive approach, NATO is working closely with other international organizations, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the European Union”, the ministers said.
Despite the COVID-19 crisis, the ministers assured that NATO’s ability to conduct its operations and to deter and defend against threats is “intact” (see EUROPE 12450/20).
As proof of this, the Secretary General announced that the Allies have agreed to strengthen the training mission in Iraq by taking over some of the Global Coalition’s training activities, including the training and education of non-commissioned officers, engineers and federal police (see EUROPE 12425/21). Allies discussed what more could be done in the region, he said, citing increased assistance to partners for reform and capacity building, NATO-led exercises with a focus on counter-terrorism, and deepening partnerships in the region, including with the African Union.
Mr Stoltenberg also pointed to a deepening partnership with Ukraine and Georgia through possible exercises in the Black Sea region, cooperation against hybrid warfare and greater sharing of radar air traffic data.
“We agreed to increase NATO’s cooperation with the United Nations, with a package of measures to assist in the training of UN peacekeepers. This includes medical care, countering improvised explosive devices, and communications”, he also said.
Finally, Foreign Ministers formally launched the process to consider how to further strengthen NATO’s political role. On 31 March, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of a group of experts to assist him in this task (see EUROPE 12458/20).
See the ministers’ statement: https://bit.ly/2USLBIs (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)