Rutte on NATO Ministerial Meeting: Western Balkans Not on Agenda, but May Become a Topic

Author: M.J. GDNUS

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated in Brussels that the Western Balkans is not explicitly on the agenda of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting, but it could become a topic due to the alliance's strong focus on the region.

"I was recently in Sarajevo and Pristina (March 10th and 11th), and I spoke with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Brussels (March 19th). NATO is highly engaged in ensuring that the Western Balkans remains stable and secure," Rutte told journalists upon arrival at the two-day summit at NATO's headquarters.

Rutte noted that the ministers will discuss many issues today and tomorrow, with the main focus being on increasing defense spending by NATO's European members.

"Great things have been happening over the last few months; many European allies have announced increases in defense spending. This is the largest increase among European members since the end of the Cold War in 1989. This is extremely positive and necessary because we must defend ourselves against the long-term threat that Russia poses," Rutte said.