NATO to boost capacity-building of partners

NATO foreign ministers agreed on Thursday to enhance capacity-building for partners in its neighborhood, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Thursday.

Stoltenberg made the statement at the press conference on the heels of the first day of a ministerial meeting which will set the stage for the NATO summit in Warsaw in July.

While stressing NATO must retain the ability to deploy combat forces when needed, Stoltenberg said "we must also do more to train up local forces, to secure their own territory, and push back against extremist groups."

According to him, the ministers reviewed the alliance's support for partners, including military training missions in Iraq and Tunisia, and cyber defense projects with Jordan, and considered how to expand NATO's efforts.

The NATO chief said, "We agreed to send an assessment team to Iraq as soon as possible," following a request by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi to expand NATO training there.

"We also discussed how NATO could further support the global coalition to counter ISIL (Islamic State)" he added, which includes providing NATO AWACS aircraft.

NATO foreign ministers also decided to help build Libya's defense and security institutions.

Besides NATO's Operation Active Endeavour, which helps deter terrorist activity in the Mediterranean sea, NATO will do more in the area, in cooperation with the European Union and other actors, said Stoltenberg.

Foreign ministers of NATO's 28 members gathered Thursday for a two-day meeting in Brussels, discussing a range of security issues, including the accession of Montenegro to NATO and strained relations with Russia. Endit