NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke on the phone to Joe Biden, President of the United States, the evening of 26th of January 2021. He congratulated the President on his inauguration, which was a powerful demonstration of the strength of America’s democracy and the values we share, and the start of a new chapter for our transatlantic Alliance.
By Jan H. Kalvik
Editor-In-Chief
They discussed the range of challenges that NATO Allies face, such as countering international terrorism, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, dealing with a more assertive Russia, and addressing the implications for our security of the rise of China. They also affirmed their intention to work together on other global challenges such as climate change and the pandemic. They stressed the need to maintain the momentum for increased defence spending, to keep our nations safe in an unpredictable world. They looked forward to continuing to work very closely together.
Mr. Stoltenberg welcomed President Biden’s focus on rebuilding alliances, stressing that NATO is the place where Europeans and Americans meet every day and that together, we can face challenges that none of our nations can face alone. They agreed to work together on preparing the NATO Summit in Brussels later this year, where leaders will take decisions to make our strong Alliance even stronger.
They discussed the range of challenges that NATO Allies face, such as countering international terrorism, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, dealing with a more assertive Russia, and addressing the implications for our security of the rise of China. They also affirmed their intention to work together on other global challenges such as climate change and the pandemic. They stressed the need to maintain the momentum for increased defence spending, to keep our nations safe in an unpredictable world. They looked forward to continuing to work very closely together.
The official White House statement says; “President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today 26. January 2021 with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The President thanked the Secretary General for his steadfast leadership of the Alliance, and conveyed his intention to consult and work with allies on the full range of shared security concerns , including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Russia. President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to collective defence under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and underscored his commitment to strengthening transatlantic security.The President also emphasized the importance of shared values, consultation, and capabilities to strengthen deterrence and counter new and emerging threats, including climate change and global health security.”
Stoltenberg was one of the first to congratulate Biden and Harris with the victory, and commented “…US leadership is as important as ever in an unpredictable world, and I look forward to working very closely with President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the new administration to further strengthen the bond between North America and Europe. A strong NATO is good for North America and good for Europe. Together, NATO Allies represent almost one billion people, half of the world’s economic might and half of the world’s military might. We need this collective strength to deal with the many challenges we face, including a more assertive Russia, international terrorism, cyber and missile threats, and a shift in the global balance of power with the rise of China. We can only be secure and successful if we face these challenges together.”
(Archive photo, copyright NATO)