NATO update

 

Secretary General in Tbilisi: NATO supports Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg continued his tour of the South Caucasus on Monday (18 March 2024), meeting with President Salome Zourabichvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgia in Tbilisi. During his visit, the Secretary General discussed ways to further strengthen NATO’s partnership with Georgia. NATO is stepping up its cooperation with Georgia in areas such as crisis management, cyber security, military engineering and secure communications. Click here to download the joint press statements by the NATO Secretary General and the Prime Minister of Georgia. The webstory is available on the NATO website.

NATO Secretary General starts South Caucasus visit in Baku, welcomes NATO’s long-standing partnership with Azerbaijan

NATO update

 

NATO Secretary General meets the President of Poland NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Polish President Andrzej Duda to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (14 March 2024), two days after the 25th anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO. The Secretary General praised Poland for its contributions to the Alliance and its strong support for Ukraine. Click here to download the joint press conference by the NATO Secretary General and the President of Poland. The transcript of the joint press conference is available on the NATO website.

NATO Allies conduct drills in exercise Dragon 2024 Nine Allies are participating in the Polish-led multinational exercise Dragon 2024. It involves troops from France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States. The exercise helps NATO Allies train on military operations at both the tactical and operational level. It involves training on infantry operations and urban combat, and a live-fire tank exercise. Exercise Dragon falls under Steadfast Defender 2024 – NATO’s largest exercise in decades. Steadfast Defender 2024 is testing the Alliance’s new regional defence plans with forces practising rapid deployment and combat in both Norway and Poland. It is enabling Allies to demonstrate their ability to command and control large ground, air and sea forces across significant distances, within the Euro-Atlantic area.

NATO update

8 March 2024



Update



Sweden officially joins NATO

Sweden became NATO’s newest member on 7 March 2024, upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the Government of the United States in Washington DC. With Sweden’s accession, NATO now counts 32 countries among its members.

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NATO Secretary General's statement on International Women’s Day

On International Women's Day, I honour the countless women who have shaped and strengthened NATO since the founding of our Alliance 75 years ago. Their resilience, sacrifice, and dedication have been paramount to our success. We have come a long way in integrating gender perspectives into our policies and operations, but our work is far from over.
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NATO update

NATO Allies train in Arctic Norway Troops from France, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, and Sweden have deployed to Harstad, Norway for exercise “Nordic Response 2024”. “Nordic Response 2024” is part of NATO’s biggest exercise in decades called “Steadfast Defender 2024” Troops participated in amphibious operations training as they got ready to engage in the field exercise, which is running from 3 to 14 March. Finnish, French and Swedish forces have embarked on the US Navy’s USS Gunston Hall, an amphibious assault ship. Meanwhile, the Netherlands Marine Corps have practised amphibious landings on Sandstrand beaches near Harstad. Additionally, Italian marines from the San Marco Marine Brigade have trained their sharpshooting skills in the freezing Norwegian Arctic. Click here to download the b-roll. Footage includes shots of the Netherlands Marine Corps practising amphibious landings, Italian troops from the San Marco Marine Brigade practising sharpshooting skills and getting trained by the Norwegian Army in winter survival skills, as well as members of the Finnish Nyland Brigade boarding USS Gunston Hall. Footage also includes an interview with the Commanding Officer of the US Navy’s USS Gunston Hall. You can also click here for more information on exercise Steadfast Defender 2024.

NATO update

 

NATO troops hone their skills during exercise Brilliant Jump 24 Steadfast Defender 2024, NATO's largest exercise in decades, includes over 90,000 troops from all 31 NATO Allies and Invitee Sweden. The NATO-led exercise Brilliant Jump 24, which is part of Steadfast Defender 2024, is an operational and tactical-level Alert and Deployment exercise. It aims to strengthen the Alliance’s deterrence and defence capabilities, and to train and test NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) troops to operate at tempo and provide decisive action in response to any arising crisis. This year’s participating countries are Albania, Poland, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. Click here to download the b-roll. Footage includes various shots of mechanised combat vehicles and multinational infantry troops shooting and testing their capability to work together as a cohesive unit. You can also click here for more information on exercise Steadfast Defender 2024. NATO stands with all Ukrainians fighting for their freedom and our shared security Two years have passed since Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian armed forces demonstrated their courage, strength and determination to push back the Russian invading forces, bravely defending their freedom and their country. NATO stands with all Ukrainians bravely pushing back the Russian invaders. As we remember the day in which the fully-fledged invasion began, a group of Ukrainian soldiers being trained by NATO Allies in the United Kingdom recites their national anthem, standing side by side with their trainers from the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. Click here to download the video. You can also watch the video on YouTube.  Press Release 29 February 2024 Launch of the NATO Secretary General's Annual Report for 2023 On Thursday 14 March 2024, the NATO Secretary General, Mr Jens Stoltenberg, will present his Annual Report for 2023, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. This will be followed by a short reception for accredited journalists at the Compass Room of the NATO Restaurant. Media advisory 12:00 (CET)    Press conference by the NATO Secretary General 13:00 (CET)    Reception for accredited journalists   Media coverage All media representatives, except those who hold annual accreditation, wishing to attend the event, are requested to apply for ad-hoc accreditation via the NATO accreditation portal by Tuesday 5 March 2024, midnight (CET). Please apply as early as possible to allow for sufficient time for processing accreditation requests. NATO will confirm accreditation explicitly by email. Media passes must be collected in person upon presentation of the confirmation email, as well as the documents used to apply for accreditation at the Main Entrance, NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III 1110 Brussels. You must bring the same ID document and the same press card or editor's letter that you used to apply for accreditation online, together with a printout of the confirmation email. If you plan to attend the reception, please RSVP no later than midday on Monday 11 March 2023, by emailing NATOMediaOperations[at]hq.nato.int. The press conference will be streamed live on the NATO website and X (formerly Twitter) @NATOPress, broadcast live on EBU World feed and EBU News Exchange. A transcript of the Secretary General’s remarks, as well as pictures taken by a NATO photographer, will be available on the NATO website. The video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event. For more information: Contact the NATO Press Office Press Release 29 February 2024 Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs - Brussels, 3-4 April 2024 GENERAL Allied Foreign Affairs Ministers will meet at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 3-4 April 2024, 75 years after NATO was founded. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. Media representatives without annual accreditation and agreed access to NATO can apply for ad-hoc accreditation for the event. The deadline for accreditation is Monday, 18 March 2024, at 23:59 (CET). The Secretary General will address the media on both days of the meeting. PROGRAMME A detailed media programme of the meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers will be available on the NATO website closer to the event. For information about Allied Ministers participation, please contact the national delegations at NATO. A list of delegation press officers is available from NATO Press & Media (press[at]hq.nato.int). MEDIA ACCREDITATION Media representatives with an annual accreditation and agreed access to NATO for 2024 do not need to request accreditation for this event. All other media representatives without annual accreditation and agreed access to NATO wishing to cover the meeting need to apply for ad-hoc accreditation on the NATO accreditation portal: https://my.hq.nato.int/register. NATO accreditation procedures can be found here. Please note that late requests for ad-hoc accreditation as well as requests submitted without all necessary documentation will not be successful. The deadline to register and apply for media accreditation is Monday, 18 March 2024, at 23:59 (CET). Please apply as early as possible to allow our team sufficient time to process your accreditation request. NATO will confirm accreditation explicitly by email. Please have that confirmation email handy when collecting your badge. Ad-hoc media passes must be collected in person at a counter specifically designated for the purpose upon presentation of the confirmation email received, and the documents used to apply for accreditation (ID card or Passport, Press card or Editor’s letter) at the Main Entrance of NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III 1110 Brussels. Badges must be visible at all times. Please arrive early to clear security checks as security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects. Feel free to contact the NATO Accreditations team would you have any questions at NatoAccreditations[at]hq.nato.int. MEDIA ACCESS Accredited media representatives can work in the press area of NATO Headquarters on the days of the Ministerial meeting, and access all public areas. The opening hours of the press area will be communicated in the media programme. Accredited journalists can attend ministers’ doorsteps and the press conferences of the NATO Secretary General. These events will also be streamed live on the NATO website. National briefings may also take place at NATO Headquarters. Please contact national delegations at NATO for details about their plans. POOLS A few elements of the Meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers will be accessible only to a pool of visual journalists. Details on pooled events and on the distribution of pool cards will be available in the media programme, a few days before the event. If you accept a NATO pool position, you must share immediately all information and material collected while in the pool with any accredited media that requests it, at no charge and with no restriction on the use of the material for news purposes. Media organisations that want pooled images should first contact the wire service / photo agency of which they are a client. Media representatives and news organisations must identify that it is pooled material every time it is used. Pooled material can only be used for legitimate news purposes and cannot be sold. BROADCAST NATO will provide broadcast-quality video in real time on EBU World feed or to EBU News Exchange. NATO photographers and videographers will provide video clips and photos of all public events during the ministerial meeting. Photos can be downloaded from the NATO website. The video files will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal. The Secretary General's press conferences and public remarks will be streamed live on the NATO website. MEDIA FACILITIES A press working area will be set up on the first floor of the Public Square at NATO HQ. Working spaces cannot be booked in advance and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Television and radio editing spaces will be available upon request by email to the NATO TV & Radio Unit (see contact details below). PARKING Media representatives can park in the Visitors' car park of the NATO HQ. Uplink vans can park in a special section of the car park upon request to the NATO TV & Radio Unit. For more information: For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office Accreditation NatoAccreditations[at]hq.nato.int TV & Radio arrangements on site and via satellite broadcastoperations[at]hq.nato.int NATO Video on demand content[at]natomultimedia.tv

NATO update

 

Allied forces gather for exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 NATO forces are on the move for Steadfast Defender 2024, the Alliance’s largest exercise in decades. The purpose of Steadfast Defender 2024 is to put NATO’s new regional defence plans to the test. With forces practising rapid deployment and combat in both Norway and Poland, Allies are proving their ability to command and control large ground, air and sea forces across significant distances. Click here to download the b-roll. Footage includes various shots of NATO nations loading vehicles and equipment, with planes, ships and submarines operating within NATO territory. You can also click here for more information on exercise Steadfast Defender 2024. NATO Secretary General and Georgian Prime Minister discuss strengthening ties

NATO Secretary General at the Munich Security Conference

 

NATO Secretary General at the Munich Security Conference Arriving at the Munich Security Conference on Friday (16 February 2024), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was "deeply saddened and concerned" by reports about the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. NATO Secretary General also participated in an event hosted by Bavaria's Christian Social Union with the President of the European Commission and the Minister-President of Bavaria. Click here to download the doorstep by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Munich Security Conference. Click here for the joint statements by the NATO Secretary General, the President of the European Commission and the Minister-President of Bavaria. The transcript of the remarks as well as the photos, are available on the NATO website.

NATO update

 

NATO AWACS aircraft takes to the skies with an all-female crew A NATO AWACS aircraft flew with its first all-female crew over NATO’s eastern flank, as part of a routine NATO’s enhanced vigilance activities mission. The mission featured 22 servicewomen from eight NATO Allies, representing diverse backgrounds and roles in the Airborne Early Warning community. The flight highlights female aviators and their contributions to NATO’s air defence. Click here to download the b-roll. Footage includes shots of the AWACS aircraft in Geilenkirchen, Germany and the AWACS aircraft flying a surveillance patrol over NATO’s eastern flank, as well as interviews with an Italian pilot and a US aircrew operator.

NATO latest

 

Meet Linda, a Dutch aerospace engineer working on missile defence “It’s important for NATO to have a strong missile defence capability. Safety is one of the preconditions for our freedom.” That’s according to Linda, a Dutch scientist who works together with the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) and specialises in aerospace technology. We hear from her about the work she does in the field of missile defence at the NATO STO, which has a network of more than 5,000 scientists working on over 400 research projects. It’s the world’s largest collaborative research forum in the field of defence and security. Click here to download the video. You can also watch the video on YouTube.

NATO latest news

 

NATO Secretary General chairs meeting of National Security Advisers, addresses preparations for Washington Summit National Security Advisers from all NATO Allies and invitee Sweden met in Brussels on Wednesday (7 February 2024) to discuss preparations for the Washington Summit in July, including continued support to Ukraine, strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence, and the growing challenges posed by China. Click here to download the press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and National Security Advisor of the United States Jake Sullivan following the meeting of the North Atlantic Council with Invitee Sweden in National Security Advisers Format. The transcript of the remarks as well as the photos, are available on the NATO website.  NATO Allies deploy for biggest exercise in decades NATO Allies have deployed armed forces to take part in Steadfast Defender 2024, the Alliance’s biggest exercise in decades, currently underway in various Allied locations. In Canada, HMCS Charlottetown set sail from a dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while the British Anglian Regiment rolled out a convoy of armoured vehicles from a barracks in Rutland. In the US, USS Gunston Hall departed from a naval base in Norfolk. In Norway, US Marines are currently braving howling winds and frigid temperatures to prepare for the exercise. Troops from 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment arrived in Setermoen, Norway in January for several weeks of cold weather training. Towards the end of the month, the Marines will head north for exercise Nordic Response, to practice defensive and offensive operations alongside troops from Finland, Norway and Sweden. Nine other Allies will also participate, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. Nordic Response is part of the Steadfast Defender 2024 series of of national and multinational large-scale exercises that takes place from 24 January 2024 until the end of May, and involve 90,000 troops from all 31 Allies and Sweden. Click here to download the b-rolls. Footage includes US marines conducting operations in the snow, as well as interviews with US marines and Norwegian army personnel. Footage also includes British, Canadian and US assets and personnel participating in the exercise.