MOHAMMAD GHAZAL (WASHINGTON, DC)

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday welcomed the heads of NATO member states to Washington as the Alliance holds its summit here marking its 75th anniversary.

Commemorating 75 years since its formation when 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, DC to ensure their collective defence in an unpredictable world, NATO allies are set to make key decisions on how to continue to protect their one billion citizens.

The NATO leaders will address the challenges facing the Alliance and further strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities.

At the Washington Summit, NATO leaders are scheduled to address a wide variety of issues facing the Alliance, ensure that NATO remains ready to respond to any challenge and look into fostering global partnerships.

The meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Heads of State and Government will start with remarks by NATO Secretary General and welcoming remarks by the President of the US.

On the sidelines of the summit, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will participate in a conversation on July 10 to kick off the 2024 NATO Public Forum, which aims to promote a better public understanding of NATO’s policies and goals as well as the decisions to be adopted at the Washington Summit through dialogue and engagement with a unique and diverse group of stakeholders.  

A recent report by independent experts, indicated that the existing regional frameworks – the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative – should be used as complementary tools for promoting enhanced regional dialogue and cooperation in security and defence.

NATO’s southern neighbourhoods face interconnected security, demographic, economic and political challenges, exacerbated by the impact of climate change, fragile institutions, health emergencies and food insecurity, the report indicated.

On Friday, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that support to Ukraine will be NATO’s “most urgent task.”

The summit is set to run through Thursday.