NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel signed a statement on this in Brussels on Tuesday. It aims, among other things, to improve cooperation in the protection of vital infrastructure, such as energy and water supply.
The text also mentions, for example, how to deal with information manipulation and interference from abroad and the security policy consequences of climate change as areas for greater cooperation. Global warming is considered a risk to peace and security because it threatens the livelihoods of millions of people. More humanitarian catastrophes, flight and migration, as well as increasing conflicts over resources such as water and land, could be the result.
As security threats and challenges evolve in scope and scope, collaboration will be taken to the next level, the text says. To this end, the cooperation will be expanded and deepened.
For the first time, potential threats from China are also addressed in a statement on EU-NATO cooperation. China’s growing confidence and policies pose challenges that need to be addressed, the text says. However, Russia’s war against Ukraine is cited as the biggest threat to security.
The statement builds on two previous joint statements from 2016 and 2018, in which it was agreed, for example, to organize coordinated exercises and to strengthen cooperation in the field of cybersecurity.
(SDA)