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NATO vows to enhance collective defense against threats

Xinhua, November 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg pledged on Monday to expand the military bloc's collective defense against threats with new alliances.

"We have proven that we are able to stand together in the alliance on the main message of collective defense and the will to defend each other," the secretary general said at the 62nd annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly held in Istanbul.

He noted that NATO is considering boosting its collective defense, projecting stability, strengthening cooperation with the European Union and enlarging the alliance by inviting Montenegro as a new member state.

"I urge those countries that have not yet ratified the accession agreement for Montenegro to do so," said Stoltenberg.

NATO is also taking steps to advance its presence in the Black Sea region and the eastern part of the bloc, including the deployment of four multinational battalions to the Baltic states and Poland.

"There will be a Romanian-led multinational brigade," Stoltenberg said. "And we are working on additional defensive measures in the air and at sea as well."

NATO lawmakers adopted reports on Saturday urging member states to stand firm in supporting Ukraine and maintain a strong stance against what they called continued Russian belligerence.

Stoltenberg assured the international community that the NATO firmly believes in and is firmly committed to a two-track approach to Russia.

"Strong defense coupled with meaningful dialogue," he noted, saying that as tensions are running high, it is even more important to keep channels of communication open.

With increasing military activities close to NATO borders, "we must do everything we can to prevent military incidents or accidents," the NATO chief added.

Another topic dominating the three-day NATO session was counterterrorism, with member states vowing to increase cooperation.

The parliamentarians have called for broader intelligence sharing and tighter border controls to stem the flow of militants from Europe to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State.

Addressing the NATO session on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again called on the United States and other nations to reconsider Ankara's proposal about the creation of a no-fly zone in northern Syria. Endit