NATO

NATO conducted the campaign for Libya with unprecedented care and precision and to a standard exceeding that required by international humanitarian law. The mission was fully consistent with the United Nations mandate and saved countless lives.

I welcome President Karzai's announcement confirming the third group of Afghan provinces, cities and districts to make the move to Afghan security lead. This means that the Afghan National Security Forces will soon have lead security responsibility for three quarters of the Afghan population.

The NATO Spokesperson, Mrs. Oana Lungescu, will hold a pre-summit press briefing in Luns Room (NATO HQ) at 14:00 on Wednesday 16 May 2012. She will be accompanied by two NATO experts who will brief on the priorities of the NATO Summit in Chicago.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Mr. Hoshyar Zebari visited the NATO Headquarters on 11 May 2012 and met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow.

Afghanistan, future capabilities and strengthening partnerships will top the agenda of next week’s Chicago Summit, said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on 11 May 2012.

Managers of the SILK-Afghanistan project will undergo training in cyber defence at the Informatics Institute of the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey from 21 May to 1 June. The training, funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme, demonstrates NATO's long-term commitment to Afghanistan during the transition phase and beyond.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen held talks to prepare for this month’s Chicago Summit with US President Barack Obama at the White House on 9 May 2012. The Secretary General and the US president discussed the summit agenda ahead of the 20-21 May high-level meeting which will be NATO’s largest summit, gathering representatives from around 60 nations and organisations.

MONS, Belgium - Following the inauguration of the new Comprehensive Crisis and Operations Management Centre (CCOMC) early May 2012, the NATO Military Committee (MC) visited SHAPE and the CCOMC premises, today. The CCOMC is part of SHAPE's Transition Program, and it will contribute to deliver a more flexible and agile Alliance, ready to respond to 21st Century crises, in a more and more effective way.

Preparations for the 25th NATO Summit are well underway in US President Obama’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois. The city will welcome thousands of visitors to the event on 20 and 21 May.

The NATO Spokesperson will hold a press briefing in Luns Room (NATO HQ) on Monday 7 May 2012 at 13h45. She will be joined via video-teleconference by General Stéphane Abrial, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, who will brief on Defence reform and Smart Defense issues.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stressed the importance of Smart Defence as the answer to pressure on defence budgets in talks with Italian leaders in Rome on 27 April 2012.

Brussels, 26 April 2012 – Chiefs of Defence from NATO member and NATO Partner countries have concluded two days of meetings at NATO Headquarters. Chaired by General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the Military Committee, NATO’s highest-level military gathered in Brussels to discuss key security issues. Discussions focused on NATO operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, Lessons Identified in Libya, military cooperation with Partners and issues in anticipation of the Chicago Summit (20-21 May 2012).

The NATO Spokesperson, Mrs. Oana Lungescu, will hold a pre-ministerial press briefing in Brosio Room (NATO HQ) at 11h00 on Monday 16 April 2012. She will be accompanied by two NATO experts who will brief on upcoming Ministerial discusions related to defence capabilities and Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on 12 April expressed the Alliance’s continued strong commitment to Afghanistan after talks with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.

The NATO Spokesperson, Mrs. Oana Lungescu, will hold a pre-ministerial press briefing in Brosio Room (NATO HQ) at 11h00 on Monday 16 April 2012. She will be accompanied by two NATO experts who will brief on upcoming Ministerial discusions related to defence capabilities and Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on 12 April expressed the Alliance’s continued strong commitment to Afghanistan after talks with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul.

More than half the casualties among the NATO forces in Afghanistan in 2011 were caused by improvised explosive devices (IED)¹. This is also the case for one in three Afghans killed last year². In 2010, NATO adopted an action plan on counter-IED(C-IED) aimed at increasing the detection and neutralization of such devices, as well as the dismantling of the networks that manufacture them. The NATO C3 Agency (NC3A) is responsible for developing those advanced technologies to combat IEDs.

On 10 April 2012, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bakir Izetbegović, visited NATO Headquarters and met with Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.