NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance members should spend more than 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP).
Stoltenberg, who is in Washington to participate in the NATO summit, performed at the Defense Industry Forum.
He noted that the most successful alliance in history celebrates the 75th anniversary. The Secretary General emphasized that as part of the summit, important decisions will be made regarding the future of NATO.
Jens Stoltenberg added that measures will be taken to support Ukraine, strengthen partnerships and the main mission of NATO – defense and deterrence. “The main goal of NATO is to prevent wars and maintain the world with the help of its restraint,” he added.
The speaker noted that NATO has succeeded in this regard, preventing attacks on the alliance members for 75 years. “Without a strong defense industry, it is impossible to ensure a strong defense,” the Secretary General emphasized.
Turning to representatives of the defense industry, Stoltenberg said: “We are dependent on you because you produce the necessary means, weapons and systems. But the good news is that you also depend on us because we are your customers “.
Stoltenberg said that NATO members agreed to increase defense costs. He recalled that 10 years ago it was decided to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense.
“Now we know that 2 percent is the minimum target, and we need to spend more. We will do more,” added NATO Secretary General.
According to him, this obligation includes both an increase in defense costs and “more effective expenses” to improve the ability to act together.
Stoltenberg noted that the Russian-Ukrainian war showed not only insufficiency of stocks and production facilities, but also serious problems with the ability of allies to act together.
– Türkiye and allies signed new defense agreements
, in the framework of NATO’s obligations to expand industrial cooperation and production, some NATO allies, including Turkey, signed new defense initiatives as part of the “Defense Industry forum”.
Turkey, USA, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden signed the Memorandum of understanding of the “constant program of cosmic allies” – the most complex multinational program for the development of space potential in NATO history.
In order to expand cooperation in the digital sphere, 22 ally, including Turkey, signed an agreement on intentions on the “cloudy and regional software of the Allies”.
Allies also signed an agreement on “cross -border cooperation in the airspace”, and Germany, Italy and the Netherlands entered into a contract for the supply of 940 stinger missiles.