Roundup: NATO strengthens deterrence, defense

NATO defense ministers on Thursday decided to take further measures to strengthen its deterrence and defense, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Speaking at a press conference following the ministerial meeting, Stoltenberg said the bloc would complement its strengthened regional posture in the Black Sea region, based on a multinational framework brigade in Romania.

"Eight allies have committed to providing brigade staff. And five allies have committed land and air forces for training and air policing," he added.

During the meeting, ministers also agreed on two additional maritime measures: increased NATO naval presence in the Black Sea for enhanced training, exercises and situational awareness, and improving maritime coordination.

As part of the effort to protect its eastern allies in light of the Ukraine crisis, Stoltenberg said NATO's four multinational battle groups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland would be "fully operational" by the end of June.

Noting that cyber defense was another priority at Thursday's ministerial meeting, Stoltenberg said, "Today, we approved an updated cyber defense plan, and a road map to implement cyberspace as an operational domain," he said.

NATO chief also told a press conference that NATO was modernizing its command structure in response to new security challenges.

NATO allies on Wednesday agreed to create a new regional hub at NATO's Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, to address threats from the south, which would be used to assess potential threats and engage with partners like Libya.

"Last night, I received a formal request from Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj requesting NATO's advice and expertise in the field of defense and security institution building," Stoltenberg declared.

He added the North Atlantic Council would discuss how to take the Libyan issue forward. Endit