NATO ‘to return to core mission of collective defence’

The upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw should mark a return to collective defence as a core mission of the Alliance, said diplomat and former Ambassador to Russia Renatas Norkus on Thursday in Vilnius.

“Such a move can take place this summer in Warsaw,” said Mr. Norkus, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Transatlantic Cooperation and Security Policy Department, at an international conference in Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science.

Norkus said that NATO’s collective defence policy had been a top priority until 1989, when the Cold War ended. Later, more and more attention was given to prepare for crises outside of the Alliance but recent military conflicts in Georgia, and particularly in Ukraine had once again drew attention to the need collective defence and military deterrence.

Norkus said that one of the most important changes in the Baltic countries in recent times was the enhanced forward presence initiative. It provides for rotated troop deployments in the eastern states of the Alliance as a guarantee of collective action in face of possible aggression.

Speaking about the situation in Lithuanian National Defence Norkus said that “2% is the minimum what the country should spend on defence.”

Alfa.lt