NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke by phone today [Nov. 18] with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The Secretary General congratulated the President-elect on his election victory and said that he was looking forward to working with him and his national security team.

The President-elect and the Secretary General both underlined NATO’s enduring importance, and discussed how NATO is adapting to the new security environment, including to counter the threat of terrorism.

Secretary General Stoltenberg also thanked the President-elect for raising the issue of defense spending during the campaign, which has been a top priority for the Secretary General since his appointment in 2014. The two leaders agreed that progress has been made on fairer burden-sharing, but that there is more to do.

The Secretary General said he looked forward to welcoming President-elect Trump to Brussels for the NATO Summit next year to discuss the way forward with Allied Heads of State and Government.

Readout of the Secretary General’s phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump.

Image: President-elect Donald Trump and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (photos: Gage Skidmore and NATO)