EU and NATO vow to broaden cooperation – POLITICO

The EU and NATO on Tuesday pledged to reinforce their cooperation, as each organizations grapple with rising geopolitical threats.

The 27-member European bloc and 30-member army alliance already cooperate on points akin to counterterrorism and cyber threats. However Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in addition to Sweden and Finland’s plans to affix NATO, have deepened the impetus for nearer hyperlinks between the 2 teams. 

“This can be a key juncture for Euro-Atlantic safety and stability, greater than ever demonstrating the significance of the transatlantic bond, calling for nearer EU-NATO cooperation,” the EU and NATO stated in a joint declaration. 

However bringing the EU and NATO nearer is just not a simple process: Turkey, a NATO ally, has a troubled relationship with some European capitals. And whereas many EU nations are a part of NATO, the 2 organizations have vastly totally different inner dynamics, with Washington persevering with to play a number one position inside the army alliance. 

Within the joint declaration signed Tuesday, NATO Secretary-Common Jens Stoltenberg, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel dedicated to doing extra collectively. 

“We are going to additional strengthen our cooperation in present areas, and broaden and deepen our cooperation,” the EU and NATO stated. 

The 2 sides pointed particularly to “geostrategic competitors, resilience points, safety of vital infrastructures, rising and disruptive applied sciences, area, the safety implications of local weather change, in addition to international data manipulation and interference” as areas of future cooperation. 

However the declaration comes after months of delays — and underscores that there are limits to cooperation. 

“In signing this declaration we are going to take the NATO-EU partnership ahead in shut session and cooperation with all NATO Allies and EU Member States,” the edges famous. 

However, they added, “we encourage the fullest attainable involvement of the NATO Allies that aren’t members of the EU in its initiatives. We encourage the fullest attainable involvement of the EU members that aren’t a part of the Alliance in its initiatives.”