NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the issue of defense spending will be discussed at the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara in July and that he is looking forward to the summit.
“Elchi” reports that Rutte made statements regarding the agenda at a joint press conference with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
Stating that the Czech Republic is a loyal ally that makes significant contributions to common security, Rutte said that the Czech Republic takes its NATO membership seriously and is committed to collective defense.
Rutte recalled that at last year’s NATO Summit, allies made historic decisions to invest more in defense, increase defense production, and continue to support Ukraine.
Stating that this year’s Ankara summit will focus on how NATO implements these, Rutte said that increasing defense spending is essential to have the forces, resources, and capabilities to ensure people’s safety, and emphasized that this applies to all NATO allies. Recalling that they discuss the issue of defense spending on every visit to allied countries, Rutte said: “I look forward to the Ankara summit because the issue of defense spending will be openly discussed. Of course, a fundamental issue like the Ukraine issue will also be discussed at the summit. I think significant attention will also be paid to defense industry production. Because just having money is not enough; one must also have the potential to produce in the defense industry.”
In his speech, Babiš noted that they will hold a video conference with the leaders of NATO allied countries tomorrow regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Stating that the Czech government has prepared proposals and concrete suggestions regarding ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz, Babiš said: “I do not want to discuss this in detail now. Of course, this is something our industry and technology can help with. I think our friends, even US President Donald Trump, might be pleased that the Czechs are putting forward this proposal that we will discuss tomorrow.”
Babiš stated that unexpected events are occurring in the Strait of Hormuz and emphasized that Europe must be self-sufficient.
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