The Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, Air Force General Sir Stuart Peach, recalled the Allies’ commitment to the Alliance on Thursday 14 May.
The Defence Chiefs “reaffirmed their unwavering commitment” to the Alliance, he told the media after the Military Committee meeting. In doing so, they assured that Covid-19 would not affect their contributions to Collective Defence, including multinational battlegroups in the east of the Alliance, NATO Air Policing, maritime deployments and missions from Afghanistan to Kosovo. Measures have been taken to protect staff.
This reassured the General, for whom it is “more important than ever”, “in these troubled times”, “that NATO remains ready and able, as potential adversaries will look to exploit the ongoing crisis to further their interest”. He cited disinformation, Russia’s military activities and the difficult situations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
During their meetings, the Defence Chiefs also discussed new ways to contribute to security in the Middle East and North Africa, complementing existing efforts.
They also worked on the ‘Concept for Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area’ and the ‘NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept’ to refine and further develop them. The work will be presented to NATO Defence Ministers in June.
The General also recalled that NATO was present to help deal with Covid-19: more than 150 missions to support and transport medical personnel, supplies and treatment capabilities; the construction of more than 50 field hospitals and care facilities; the creation of more than 35,000 treatment beds; and the deployment of 5,000 military medical professionals in support of civilian authorities. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)