Notes from Speech by the NATO Secretary General
Notes from Conversation with Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg
Antone Christianson-Galina- Ritz Carlton April 6, 2016
- Main Challenges: Revanchist Russia, Middle East, US Presidential Campaign
- Reminded audience that Nato has strongly supported US in Iraq
- European Allies are finally stopping defense spending cuts
- Ongoing Focus
- Enhance rapid multinational force in Eastern Europe
- Enhance hybrid warfare capabilities
- Keep Strong Nuclear deterrent
- Middle East and North Africa
- Counter IS to protect NAto and Nato Allies
- To Defeat and Destroy ISIL
- Need to use force
- Must Train other nations to fight
- Nato must make this a core competency
- Current Training Missions- Georgia, Moldova, Jordan, Afghanistan, and now Tunisia
- King Abdullah Training Base In Jordan Training Iraqi Army
- Strongly supported Libyan Gov’t in Tripoli. NOT HIFTAR
- IED training honed in Afghanistan
- Cooperation with Gulf countries
- Nato Regional Cooperation Centered in Kuwait
- Military to Military Focused
- Russia:
- Russia is trying to reestablish sphere of influence- Not Acceptable.
- NATO needs to provide a strong defense, which provides the ability to engage in strong dialogue
- Less effort reorganizing bilateral effort than coordinating new networks constantly.
- Questions by Audience
- Kurdistan TV- backing Peshmerga? What is Russia’s Role?
- Answer- Must strongly back Peshmmerga
- Russia’s Role is to Support Assad
- United Arab Emirates on behalf of GCC and Syrian Opposition -Backing Islamic Coalition(Backed by GCC) against ASSAD?
- NATO pledges to support GCC in its efforts to back Islamic Coalition
- Strong YES
- Ambassador of Romania- How do we keep the black sea safe?
- Russians putting Surface to Air Missiles to prevent NATO air strikes.
- NATO strengthening anti Surface to Air Missiles to overcome A2AD
- Kurdistan TV- backing Peshmerga? What is Russia’s Role?