On the heels of the European Union Foreign Ministers on Monday 22 March, the Foreign Ministers of the NATO member countries – 21 of which are also EU members – will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 March.
This meeting will also be the first for the new US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, an opportunity to “open a new chapter in transatlantic relations”, said the Alliance’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, on Monday 22 March.
At the meeting, the ministers will discuss the future of the Alliance up to 2030, as their defence counterparts did a few weeks ago (see EUROPE 12658/8). In particular, they will discuss how to support the Alliance’s adaptation to geopolitical change, through increased joint funding for deterrence and defence and the strengthening of the political side of the Alliance.
Ministers will also begin work on updating NATO’s Strategic Concept, which was last updated in 2010. The aim, according to Mr Stoltenberg, is to be able to “face the changing security environment together” and to commit “to our core values”.
As a major new priority for the Alliance, the meeting will return to climate change and its impact on security (see EUROPE 12651/23). According to Mr Stoltenberg, ministers should adopt a policy paper on NATO’s approach to this issue.
“We must go further and ensure that NATO takes a leading role when it comes to understanding, adapting and mitigating the impact of climate change on our security”, the Secretary General has already warned.
The ministers will be joined by their Finnish and Swedish counterparts and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on Wednesday to discuss relations with Russia.
“Russia continues to suppress peaceful dissidents at home and display a pattern of aggressive behaviour abroad. Including with cyber attacks, and attempts to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracies”, Mr Stoltenberg said, recalling the Alliance’s two-pronged approach to Moscow: strong deterrence and defence, and an openness to constructive dialogue, including on issues such as arms control.
The situation in Afghanistan will also be discussed among the Allies, while – according to the agreement between the US and the Taliban – foreign forces are expected to have left the country by 1 May.
“Ministers will continue consultations on the situation in Afghanistan, and our military presence, to assess our next steps together”, explained Mr Stoltenberg. He warned that there are no “easy choices” and that “all options remain open” (see EUROPE 12661/4).
Finally, Allies will take stock of NATO’s support in the fight against terrorism to its partners, including Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia, and consider what more they can do. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)