NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (Source: NATO)

Speaking at a joint press conference, Mr. Stoltenberg said the two sides are determined to take the partnership between NATO and the European Union to the next level.”

The Joint Declaration aims to further strengthen and expand the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU, building on unprecedented progress in cooperation between the two organizations since previous declarations were signed in 2016 and 2018.

The leaders resolved to address growing geostrategic competition, resilience issues, and the protection of critical infrastructures. Other priority areas of work will include emerging and disruptive technologies, space, the security implications of climate change, foreign interference and information manipulation.

The Secretary General underlined that the Joint Declaration “recognizes the value of a more capable European defense that contributes positively to our security and is complementary to, and interoperable with, NATO”.