NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on July 7, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
BRUSSELS – The North Atlantic Treaty Organization aims to adopt three regional defense plans at its upcoming summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference here on Friday.
He said the military bloc would strengthen its deterrence in the Atlantic and European Arctic in the north, in the Baltic region and Central Europe in the center, and in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the south.
To execute these plans, NATO would put 300,000 troops on high readiness, including substantial air and naval combat power, Stoltenberg said, adding that he expected the endorsement of a new "Defense Production Action Plan to aggregate demand, boost capacity and increase interoperability."
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At the upcoming summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, NATO allies are expected to set a more ambitious defense investment pledge to invest a minimum of 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) annually on defense
Stoltenberg also said that he expected the allies to agree on a package to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.
At the summit, NATO allies are expected to set a more ambitious defense investment pledge to invest a minimum of 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) annually on defense.
The summit, scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, will also be attended by the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the European Union. This will be Finland's first summit as a NATO ally, Stoltenberg noted, adding that the bloc "looks forward to Sweden joining as soon as possible."
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