NATO Foreign Ministers will meet by videoconference on Tuesday and Wednesday, 1 and 2 December, to discuss the future of the Alliance, Russia’s military build-up, the rise of China, and the Allied mission in Afghanistan.
Ministers will be briefed on the conclusions of the Alliance’s Group of Experts on NATO 2030 (see EUROPE 12501/20). Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will then continue to consult with civil society, young leaders, parliamentarians, the private sector and Allies before presenting his recommendations to Allied leaders at the 2021 NATO Summit. If the Alliance is to remain strong militarily, Mr Stoltenberg wants it to strengthen its political focus.
The meeting will also address the issue of Russia’s military build-up, from the modernisation of its nuclear arsenal and the introduction of new missiles to its military presence in the Alliance’s neighbourhood. According to Mr Stoltenberg, Ministers will discuss what more should be done to respond to Moscow’s increasing military activity and to maintain the arms control regime, including nuclear warhead limitations, as the new Start Treaty expires in February 2021.
The Allies will be joined by their Georgian and Ukrainian counterparts in a separate session to discuss the security situation in the Black Sea region and NATO’s support to both countries.
The Ministers will also discuss the rise of China, in the presence of representatives from the Asia-Pacific region - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea - Finland, Sweden and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. “We need to engage with China on issues such as arms control and climate change”, Mr Stoltenberg explained, while recalling that China was also a cause for concern: the country is investing heavily in new weapons, in infrastructure “from the Arctic to Africa” and does not share Allied values. The US Ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison, also highlighted the space sector and the Belt and Road initiative.
“We should therefore continue to consult closely and cooperate where possible to strengthen the resilience of our societies and protect our shared values and norms”, the Secretary General said.
Finally, Ministers will discuss the Alliance’s presence in Afghanistan as intra-Afghan negotiations are underway. “As part of the peace process, we have adapted our presence”, Mr Stoltenberg explained. And while the United States has decided to reduce its forces on the ground, NATO’s training mission continues with more than half of the forces of the European Allies and partner countries, he said.
“No one wants to stay in Afghanistan any longer than necessary. In the coming months, we will continue to assess our presence according to the conditions on the ground”, explained Mr Stoltenberg, who believes that NATO faces a dilemma. The Allies will have to decide in the coming months whether to leave the country, with the risk of it becoming a safe haven for terrorists, or whether to stay, this time with the risk of renewed violence.
“Whatever path we choose, it is important that we do it together, in a coordinated and deliberate way”, Mr Stoltenberg recalled.
The agreement between the United States and the Taliban contains a clause stating that all foreign troops will have to leave the country by next May (see EUROPE 12437/9). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)