Balkan countries ask for NATO support in the face of Russian pressure
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at the Alliance Foreign Ministers meeting in Bucharest in late November 2022. REUTERS - STOYAN NENOV
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Pressure from Russia in the Caucasus and in the Western Balkans occupied a large part of the NATO meeting which ended on Wednesday, November 30, in Bucharest.
The foreign ministers of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia were also invited to take part in the last session of the summit and they expressed their concerns.
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Whether it is territorial disputes in the Caucasus or nationalist tensions in the Balkans, fears of destabilization linked to the influence of Russia are exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, as expressed by Bisera Turkovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"
The Western Balkans and especially we, Bosnia and Herzegovina, are very concerned about the future and what the conflict could mean for our country
," she said.
NATO's partners are going to increase the means of military training that already exist in these countries as well as in Georgia announced Jens Stoltenberg, and are going to strengthen the tools for development and reform.
We must strengthen ties and without delay, explains the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance.
"
If there is a lesson to be learned from Ukraine, it is to support these countries now,
" he said.
The more support we can provide to these – albeit different – countries, the better to avoid seeing things develop in the wrong direction, as we saw with the invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
»
► To read also: NATO in ten questions
Italy has called for "
more Europe in the Western Balkans
" through the voice of its minister Antonio Tajani, former President of the European Parliament.
The next summit of EU and Western Balkan leaders is due to take place next week, and certain rapprochements, particularly with Bosnia and Herzegovina, should materialize there.
► Also to listen: NATO is strengthening on its eastern flank
NATO "lucid" in the face of the challenges posed by China
The other issue discussed at this meeting are the challenges posed by China, whether in terms of its military developments, its technological advances or its growing cyber activities.
In recent years, the military alliance has become increasingly concerned about the rise of Beijing, with the United States urging its European allies to consider this potential threat.
At a summit in June, NATO leaders for the first time discussed the "
systemic challenges
" posed by China and its closer ties with Russia.
“
The challenges we face are global, and we must meet them together in NATO
,” Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday after a meeting of Alliance foreign ministers in Bucharest.
“
We don't see China as an adversary.
We will continue to engage with China when it is in our interest, including to convey our united position on Russia's illegal war in Ukraine
,” he added.
“
We remain lucid
,” he continued, referring to the challenges posed by the Asian giant.
China's control of critical infrastructure in NATO countries and the possibility that allies will become dependent on Beijing for strategic raw materials and technologies are of growing concern.
"
We will of course continue to trade and engage economically with China
," said Jens Stoltenberg.
“
But we need to be aware of dependencies, reduce our vulnerabilities and manage risks
,” he stressed.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said for his part that there was “increasing convergence” with European allies on the subject.
“
We are not looking for conflict with China.
On the contrary, we want to avoid it.
We do not want a new cold war.
We are not looking to decouple our economies
,” he said.
“
We are just trying to be clear-headed about some of the challenges China poses
,” he said, as China did not condemn the Russian military operation in Ukraine, but did not agree to supply arms to Moscow. .
(
with
AFP)
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