RSS
Jens Stoltenberg: We must prepare for a world without the INF treaty
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday in Bucharest that an agreement on maintaining the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty has not been reached yet, as Russia has unveiled a new type of missile that violates this treaty.
President [Klaus] Iohannis and I also discussed the INF Treaty. Russia has deployed a new type of missile in violation of the treaty. This missile, the SSC-8, is nuclear capable, hard to detect and able reach European cities. At the NATO foreign ministers meeting in December, the US, which certainly supports all the allies, announced they will give Russia 60 days to return to compliance with the INF treaty. That period will end in two days. Unfortunately, we see no sign of progress in this direction, so we must prepare for a world without the INF treaty. NATO's military authorities have started looking into the consequences, Jens Stoltenberg said at the Cotroceni Palace, at the end of his meeting with President Klaus Iohannis.
He said the North Atlantic Alliance must maintain credible and effective deterrence and defense, but must also consider new initiatives, because a new arms race would be in nobody's interests. Stoltenberg also mentioned that the situation in Afghanistan was also discussed during the meeting with President Klaus Iohannis.
All our allies support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process. We welcome the efforts of the US Special Representative, (...) this was one of the main topics I discussed with Secretary Pompeo last weekend. NATO continues to help create the conditions for a peaceful settlement. There are many countries that contribute to these efforts. (...) We came in together, and we stay together. When the time is right, we will draw down our forces together. Afghanistan will be an important issue for a meeting of NATO Defense ministers in Brussels in February, the NATO Secretary General pointed out.
The North Atlantic Alliance is following with attention and concern the case of the Canadians detained in China and expects them to be treated fairly and in accordance with legal procedures, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday in Bucharest, in reply to a question on the subject.
NATO allies, Canada and the US included, have made it very clear that China must immediately release the two Canadians detained in December, and are calling on Beijing to address Canada's request. This is about fundamental values: freedom, democracy, rule of law. Therefore we are following this case with care and concern. NATO expects its citizens to be treated fairly and with due process. This is an agreement expressed by most allies. We are highly concerned that these citizens have been detained, we want them to be treated fairly, with the respect of the law, Jens Stoltenberg said during a press conference delivered together with President Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.
Stoltenberg also announced on Thursday that the accession protocol of the Republic of North Macedonia to the North Atlantic Alliance will soon be signed.
We have also discussed the continued commitment to the open door policy and Skopje and Athens are to be praised here, and Prime Minister Tsipras and Prime Minister Zaev are to be praised because, for example, they managed to solve and make the issue of the name of the country to be something of the past. We will sign the accession protocol soon. Then Skopje will take part in two meetings as a guest. When all 29 allies have ratified the protocol, we will be able to welcome the Republic of Northern Macedonia as the 30th NATO member, Stoltenberg said at a joint conference with President Klaus Iohannis.
He stressed that the accession of this country to the North Atlantic Alliance will strengthen peace and stability in the region and in Europe.