Leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) congregated in Madrid, Spain from 29th to 30th June to hold talks on issues faced by the organization. It was attended by the Heads of State and Government from NATO’s member countries and key partners.
Acknowledging the need for international peace and stability, the Leaders of the Alliance vouched to stand together in solidarity and reaffirm the long-lasting transatlantic bond that exists between their countries. All of the Leaders showed commitment to the Washington Treaty and talked about strengthening of their Alliance and enhancing its adaptation.
The Leaders condemned the ongoing conflict and advocated their commitment to democracy, human rights, individual liberty and the rule of law and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. They also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations by calling out how the malicious use of emerging technologies is posing a disruptive threat to global cyberspace.
To counter all such acts of conflict, they endorsed a new “Strategic Concept” which describes the security environment of the Alliance, reaffirms their values and spells out the responsibility of making sure of a collective defence based on a 360-degree approach.
NATO has jointly decided to protect the populations and defend their Allied territory at all times. The Leaders also discussed boosting their energy security and that, they will ensure reliable energy supplies to their military forces. Their aim is to employ political and military instruments in an integrated manner.
The Summit also saw the establishment of a “Defence Innovation Accelerator” and the launching of a multinational “Innovation Fund” to bring together governments, the private sector and academia to boost the Alliance’s technological edge.
Climate change and its impact on Allied security were also discussed as to how it works as a “threat multiplier”. They decided to curb greenhouse gas emissions through the NATO political and military structures and facilities while maintaining operational, military and cost-effectiveness. They also agreed upon integrating climate change considerations across all of NATO’s core tasks.
NATO Leaders also had valuable exchanges with the Heads of State and Government of Australia, Finland, Georgia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Sweden, and Ukraine, as well as the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission. They acknowledged the participation of their partners from the Asia-Pacific region and also discussed how to further enhance the partnerships so that they continue to meet the interests of both, their Allies as well as their partners.
The Leaders also showed a strong commitment to NATO’s Open Door Policy and decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become the members of NATO.
All the mutual agreements and discussions further set out NATO’s three core tasks of deterrence and defence; crisis prevention and management; and cooperative security. It was proposed that, in the coming years, all of it will prove beneficial to the spirit of their transatlantic solidarity. The Leaders also decided to meet again in Vilnius, in 2023.