NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the first day of the Ankara Summit a “great success,” stating that “The result is a stronger NATO and a stronger Europe within a stronger NATO.”
“Elchi” reports that Rutte made these remarks to the press before the main session that will bring together heads of state and government at the “North Atlantic Council Meeting,” which will be held on the second day of the NATO Ankara Summit. Thanking President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish government, and the people of Ankara, he said: “We truly appreciate it. This is an important summit. You are very gracious hosts.”
Rutte emphasized that last year’s Hague Summit was entirely about planning and setting goals, while the Ankara Summit is about implementing those goals and achieving them. Pointing to the increasing spending capacity and defense industry investments within the Alliance, Rutte said regarding the first day of the Summit: “Yesterday was a great success. Great progress was made, and numerous new contracts and commitments were announced.” Regarding the US, Rutte stated that the goal of making defense spending more balanced among allies has been achieved and added:
“We have already reached 4 percent this year and have hit the 5 percent target, which is truly an extraordinary development. Of course, this is not only thanks to President Donald Trump. The threat from Russia is also a significant reason. But to be honest, President Trump’s encouragement of our allies in Europe and Canada really helped, and the results are visible.” “As a result, a stronger NATO and a stronger Europe within a stronger NATO are emerging.” Expressing his expectations for today’s session, the Secretary General said: “Today, I expect the allies to clearly confirm two issues. First, that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons capability. Second, the principle of freedom of navigation. The full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is strategically extremely important. This is important for all 32 allies.”
Regarding the statement on Russia to be included in the final communique, Rutte said: “Today, I also expect the allies to jointly acknowledge that Russia is a long-term threat to NATO territory. It will be clearly stated that Russia is a long-term threat.” Responding to a question about the recent US attacks on Iran, Rutte said: “I think it was absolutely necessary. Because even though a ceasefire is in effect, we see that Iran is essentially violating this ceasefire. We saw what happened with the attacks on ships yesterday. Therefore, it is extremely important for the US to provide a strong and decisive response.”
Şayəstə