Today (13 April 2021), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addressed virtually the annual Raisina Dialogue organized by India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation.The Secretary General underscored that “India is a pivotal player in the Indo-Pacific region; and an important and active international actor.” “You are one of the largest troop contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions; currently, a member of the UN Security Council; and you will hold the G20 presidency in 2023; so India truly matters on the global scene,” he pointed out.
Secretary General Stoltenberg highlighted that “for seventy years, NATO has deterred aggression and secured peace across the Euro-Atlantic area; and it has been a pillar of the international order based on the respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” adding that “NATO’s success over the decades has rested on our ability to change when the world around us changed.” He also emphasized that in light of a more unpredictable world and the array of global challenges faced today, “we want to engage even more closely with our friends and partners around the world; because that is the best way to protect the rules-based international order, secure our societies, and ring-fence our democracies.” “We already have an extensive network of partnerships, including in the Asia-Pacific region; we have formalised partnerships, strong political dialogue and wide-ranging practical cooperation, with countries such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea; and I see real potential in stepping up our dialogue with other countries that share our values and interests, including India, which is at the forefront of many of our shared security challenges,” he added.
Read the Secretary General’s speech here.