NATO's 36 summit begins in Ankara with focus on defense spending and Ukraine.
NATO heads of state and government are gathering in Ankara for a two-day summit. Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that concrete plans are expected to achieve 5% of GDP for defense.
Differences with the United States, support for Ukraine and new defence targets are at the centre of the 36th NATO summit, which is taking place today and tomorrow in Ankara.
The forum brings together the heads of state and government of all 32 member states of the Alliance, Secretary General Mark Rutte, representatives of partner countries and international organisations, as well as thousands of diplomats, experts and journalists.
The two-day forum is being held at the Bestepe Presidential Complex and is only the second NATO summit hosted by Turkey after the one in Istanbul in 2004.
Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte outlined the Alliance’s main priorities. At a press conference, he said NATO would become even stronger and that member states would announce their concrete plans to reach defence spending of 5% of gross domestic product.
Rutte thanked the Turkish authorities for the organisation and highlighted Turkey’s strategic importance for NATO.
He confirmed that NATO would continue to support Ukraine, pointing to the need to strengthen its air defence. Rutte stressed that with the new defence spending plans, the Alliance would have more resources, more bases and a stronger defence structure.
The secretary general arrived in the Turkish capital yesterday and held a bilateral meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two discussed bilateral cooperation, regional security and economic relations.