NATO News

Viola Amherd, Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, visited NATO Headquarters on Wednesday (22 March 2023) for talks with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and to meet with NATO ambassadors. Her participation in the North Atlantic Council was the first-ever by a Swiss defence minister.

Today’s new technologies are developing at a dizzying pace, and we all have a role to play in developing and deploying them responsibly and ethically. This was the message Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană gave during the launch of the NATO Science and Technology Organisation’s 2023-2043 Trends Report in Brussels on Wednesday (22 March 2023).

On Thursday, 23 March 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will participate in the meeting of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Brussels.

On 20-21 March 2023, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Christopher G. Cavoli, visited NATO Mission Iraq (NMI). During their visit they reviewed the mission’s activities and met with a range of Iraqi officials and representatives of the international community.

NATO collects defence expenditure data from Allies and publishes it on a regular basis. Each Ally’s Ministry of Defence reports current and estimated future defence expenditure according to an agreed definition of defence expenditure. The amounts represent payments by a national government actually made, or to be made, during the course of the fiscal year to meet the needs of its armed forces, those of Allies or of the Alliance.

On 23 March 2023, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Mircea Geoană, will meet with the Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ilia Darchiashvili, at NATO Headquarters.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday (21 March 2023) launched his annual report for 2022, covering all aspects of the Alliance’s work over the past year.

In 2022 NATO continued to monitor Allied citizens' perceptions on defence and security, charting support for key metrics including collective defence, the transatlantic bond and NATO membership. Each wave of Alliance-wide survey data is published in the Secretary General's Annual Report. This extended report includes trend data on familiarity with NATO, support for defence spending, and support for Ukraine.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană addressed the Schuman Security and Defence Forum in Brussels on Tuesday (21 March 2023), underlining the importance of working with like-minded partners and organisations in defence of the rules-based international order.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană delivered a virtual lecture to the Omani National Defense College on Monday (20 March 2023), stressing that in a more interconnected world, security is more interlinked. He underlined the importance of working together as NATO Allies, but also with partners and other like-minded countries, in a more dangerous and competitive age. To that end, he welcomed NATO’s regular contacts with the Sultanate of Oman.

At the 2022 Madrid Summit, 22 Allies launched the NATO Innovation Fund, the world’s first multi-sovereign venture capital fund. Since then, significant steps have been made to fully establish the Fund by NATO’s Vilnius Summit in July 2023.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein to NATO Headquarters on Monday (20 March 2023). The Secretary General thanked Iraq for its commitment to its partnership with NATO, particularly with respect to fighting international terrorism and promoting stability in the region. Mr Stoltenberg underscored that NATO continues to strengthen Iraqi security forces and institutions through the advisory and capacity-building NATO Mission Iraq.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen to NATO Headquarters on Monday (20 March 2023) for talks on Finland’s progress toward membership in the Alliance.

On Tuesday, 21 March 2023, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Mircea Geoană will take part in a panel discussion on Upholding multilateralism and rules-based international order at the Schuman Security and Defence Forum. The Forum is organized under the authority of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell.

On Wednesday 22 March, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet with the Head of Federal Department for Defence, Civil Protection and Sports of Switzerland, Ms. Viola Amherd, at NATO Headquarters. Following their bilateral meeting, Ms. Amherd will participate in a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, chaired by the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Mircea Geoană.

On 21 March 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Péter Szijjártó, at NATO Headquarters.

On Monday, 20 March 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will receive Finland’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Pekka Haavisto, and Defence Minister, Antti Kaikkonen, at NATO Headquarters.

More aircraft carrying aid are due to arrive in Türkiye, as NATO Allies and partners continue to provide assistance following the devastating earthquakes in February. A first shipment of aid from Japan arrived on Friday (17 March 2023).

On Monday 20 March, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Luxembourg, Mr. François Bausch, at NATO Headquarters.

On Friday 17 March 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Stoltenberg, will travel to Bergen, Norway. During his visit, the Secretary General will meet the Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, the President of the European Commission, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, and Equinor CEO, Mr. Anders Opedal.