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Press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after a meeting of NATO defence ministers

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

14 Feb. 2018

(As delivered)

Good evening.

We have just finished a very productive meeting of Defence Ministers. Where we took major decisions to modernise the NATO Command Structure. It is the backbone of our Alliance. And it enables our twenty-nine nations to act as one. It allows us to run our missions and operations. And to train and act in case of crisis. With the right forces, in the right place, at the right time.

At the end of the Cold War, NATO had 22,000 staff working in 33 commands. Today, the command structure is reduced to fewer than 7,000 staff in 7 commands. But the security environment in Europe has changed, and so NATO is responding. Last November, Defence Ministers agreed in principle to the design for an adapted NATO Command Structure. It will place greater focus on maritime security, logistics and military mobility, and cyber defence.

And today, we decided on the key elements of the new NATO Command Structure:

• We will establish a new Joint Force Command for the Atlantic. To help protect sea lines of communication between North America and Europe.
• We will establish a new support Command for logistics, reinforcement and military mobility. Improving the movement of troops and equipment is essential to our collective deterrence and defence.
• We will also designate some additional land component commands in Europe. To further improve coordination and rapid response for our forces.
• We will also set up a new Cyber Operations Centre at our military headquarters in SHAPE, to further strengthen our defences.

In June, Defence Ministers will decide on timelines, the locations of our new commands, and the increased staff levels that will be required.

Earlier today, we had a productive and forward looking discussion on burden sharing. We all agreed that we have made great progress but there is still much work to be done. In 2014, Allies agreed to move towards investing 2% of GDP on defence within a decade. They also agreed to invest more in key military capabilities. And to contribute to NATO missions and operations. In other words: more cash, capabilities and contributions. Allies have decided to report annually on their progress. And today, we took stock of the progress in implementing the Defence Investment Pledge. After years of decline, since 2014 we have seen three years of increasing defence spending across Europe and Canada. Amounting to an additional 46 billion US dollars. And the national plans show that in the coming years, we can expect further increases.

In 2014, only 3 Allies spent 2% of GDP or more on defence. This year, we expect 8 Allies to meet or exceed the target. And by 2024, we expect at least 15 Allies will spend 2% of GDP or more on defence. This is an encouraging start. But we have to do more.

On capabilities, European Allies and Canada invested 19 billion US dollars more on major equipment over the last three years.  This will make our forces more effective.

On contributions, almost all Allies intend to maintain or increase their participation in operations, missions and activities, both NATO and non-NATO.

So we are moving in the right direction. And I look forward to even more progress in the years ahead.

This is about our credibility: delivering on what all Allies agreed in 2014.

It is about fairness: with all Allies taking their fair share of responsibility for our defence.

And above all, it is about our security in a more complex and unpredictable world. 

And with that, I'm ready to take your questions.