Secretary General of NATO had a meeting with the President of Lithuania. The last preparations for the Alliance summit, on the discussion agenda
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Vilnius on Monday 10 July and discussed the final preparations for the NATO Summit with the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda.
The secretary general said that when Allies meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, they will take major new steps to strengthen deterrence and defence. This includes three new regional plans, supported by 300,000 highly trained soldiers with major capabilities in all areas.
"This sends a clear message that we will defend every inch of Lithuania and every inch of allied territory," Stoltenberg said.
The official also said the Allies will make decisions on Ukraine, including a multi-year aid package and strengthened political ties. In this sense, a new NATO-Ukraine Council will be created. He added that the Allies will also address Ukraine's path to NATO membership.
The allies will also meet close partners in Vilnius, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. “This will be Finland's first Summit as a NATO ally and we look forward to Sweden joining as soon as possible. I will meet with President Erdogan and Prime Minister Kristersson later today as the next step in this process,"* Stoltenberg said.
For his part, the president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, mentioned that the NATO allies will send a signal of unity, and Vilnius will be the safest city in Europe. He also noted that Ukraine will be the central topic of NATO, noting that "we understand that Ukraine must be integrated into NATO."
"It is time to implement the promises made in Vilnius and it must be where good places come from for Ukraine and its citizens. We promote security values". Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that the summit is "a meeting of unity, solutions and power".
