During the second day of his visit to Washington D.C. on Tuesday (8 June 2021), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with members of the U.S. Congress, including the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Gerry Connolly; Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks; and several U.S. Senators.
In a hybrid session with the bipartisan leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Stoltenberg stressed the vital role that parliamentarians play in supporting the Alliance, and thanked them for the strong and bipartisan commitment of the United States to NATO. They discussed topical security issues, and the importance of democratic values, on which the transatlantic Alliance is founded. He later met with members of the Senate NATO Observer Group, including the Co-Chairs, Senators Shaheen and Tillis, to discuss NATO’s continuing adaptation.
On Monday, the Secretary General met with President Joe Biden at the White House, in order to discuss preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit on 14 June. Mr Stoltenberg said they agreed on the importance of strengthening NATO in a more competitive world, and that the ambitious decisions to be taken under the NATO 2030 initiative will prepare the Alliance for the future. The Secretary General also met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and previewed the Summit in an online discussion with the Atlantic Council.