Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Davor Ivo Stier 6 and 7 December attended a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. The meeting focused on NATO’s future contribution to the stabilization of the southern and eastern neighbourhood as well as other security challenges for the member states.
Special emphasis was placed on the political and security situation in Southeast Europe and NATO’s additional activities to further stabilize the region. The meeting upheld the lasting value of the Open Door Policy and commended Montenegro’s pending full-fledged NATO membership.
The ministers supported proposals to bolster NATO-EU cooperation in dealing with the security challenges of today, which include protection against hybrid and cyber attacks, improving maritime security, strengthening crisis response cooperation and fortifying defence and security capabilities of the member states. This is a concretization of the Joint Declaration by NATO secretary general, European Council president and European Commission president signed July 2016 on the margins of NATO’s Warsaw summit.
At the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, the ministers exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine, restated full support for its territorial integrity and reviewed the implementation of the Comprehensive Assistance Package.
With the countries participating in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, the ministers discussed the political and security situation in the country and confirmed previous decision on NATO and partner countries’ engagement in Afghanistan.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Stier held bilateral talks with German and Turkish foreign ministers, as well as bilateral talks with foreign ministers of Albania and Montenegro, aimed at strengthening cooperation in the political, economic, ecological and infrastructural field.