Foreign Ministers to Address Growing Turmoil Along NATO’s Borders

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, May. 11, 2015We will keep NATO strong and we will help keep our neighborhood stable. Because if our neighborhood is stable we will be more secure.

So when Foreign Ministers meet in Turkey we will also discuss what more we can do with our partners and for our partners.

Working with partners around the world enables NATO to project stability without projecting forces and enables our partners to contribute to what we do.

This is good for NATO and it is good for our partners.

By working together we create greater stability and security for us all.Ukraine is valued partner of NATO. And we will hold a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council at this critical time when we meet in Antalya.

NATO is already working closely with Ukraine. We are supporting defence reforms. Helping to set up stronger command, control, and communications. Effective cyber defence. And to rehabilitate wounded soldiers.

But in Eastern Ukraine we see more loss of life, a rise in ceasefire violations, obstruction of the monitors and continued Russian support for the separatists.

This is a disturbing trend in the wrong direction.The full implementation of the Minsk agreements is the best way forward to a peaceful solution.

And Russia has a special responsibility to make this happen. So we will also address the strategic implications of a more assertive Russia.

And we will asses with our international partners the extremism and turmoil on our southern borders.

Excerpt from pre-ministerial press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, May, 11, 2015.

Image: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, May. 11, 2015 (photo: NATO)