Historic NATO Summit Begins In Vilnius
- 11.07.2023, 10:49
This is the first international event of its kind in Lithuania.
A two-day NATO summit begins in Vilnius on Tuesday, July 11.
This is the first international event of its kind in Lithuania. Heads of state and diplomacy, defense ministers and other dignitaries from more than 40 foreign countries will take part in the event, delfi.lt reported.
It is reported that more than 3,000 members of foreign delegations, about 2,000 representatives of non-governmental organizations and international media will arrive in Vilnius on July 11-12.
The Alliance leaders' agenda includes attention to NATO's collective defense, strengthening deterrence and support for Ukraine.
Ukraine hopes for a clear signal at the Vilnius Summit about its prospects for NATO membership. But Western and Alliance leaders say its membership is off the table because of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
Last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the North Atlantic alliance would "reaffirm" its previous commitment to Ukraine's future NATO membership in Lithuania.
He added that the leaders would also agree on a long-term support package, strengthening political ties - the creation of the Ukraine-NATO Council. At the same time, the US said Washington DC was ready to offer Ukraine the same security guarantees as Israel. NATO countries had already agreed in 2008 that Ukraine would become a member of the alliance.
As the Vilnius Summit approached, it was hoped that NATO would be able to welcome Sweden as the Alliance's 32nd member in the Lithuanian capital. But Turkey and Hungary had yet to ratify the Stockholm accession documents.
On the eve of the Vilnius summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sat down with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at a joint negotiating table to resolve bilateral differences.
After hours of talks late Monday night, Turkey's president reportedly agreed to immediately submit a protocol on Sweden's NATO membership to his country's parliament for ratification.
Members of the Alliance intend to agree to increase defense spending. Countries are currently guided by the 2014 Wales Agreement, which stipulates that NATO countries aim to increase national defense spending to at least 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2024.
The Vilnius Summit is expected to agree that 2 percent of GDP will be the minimum threshold. GDP will be the floor.
NATO leaders also intend to agree on the need to pay more attention to the Alliance's eastern flank and to strengthen NATO's forward forces, air and missile defense.
The Baltic States are seeking to significantly strengthen the region's deterrence and defense forces, building on commitments made last year in Madrid.
Decisions on deterrence and defense reinforcement at the Madrid Summit include a bilateral agreement between Germany and Lithuania to station a brigade in Lithuania.