Robles meets with NATO's Vice-Deputy Assistant Secretary General in preparation for the upcoming Washington Summit

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, together with the Vice-Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Geoana.

At their meeting at the Ministry's head office, Robles reiterated Spain's firm commitment to the organisation in the common effort for security and peace in the world. Spain is currently NATO's fourth largest contributor to deterrence, defence and stability projection missions, leading the mission in Iraq.

In addition, the two leaders addressed, among other issues, the development of the defence industry, an area in which Spain has a consolidated industry and hopes that EU and NATO initiatives will be coordinated and articulated jointly in order to strengthen it and contribute to increasing quality employment and technological transformation.

They also discussed the war in Ukraine as it enters its third year with the need for military material support. The Minister for Defence recalled Spain's total support to Ukraine in terms of material, training, humanitarian aid, as well as political and diplomatic support.

Finally, the Minister for Defence took advantage of the meeting with Vice-Deputy Secretary Geoana to recall Spain's interest, and that of other allies, in NATO having a Southern Neighbourhood policy. In this regard, the report of the Group of Independent Experts on the South will be presented to the North Atlantic Council next month.

Minister Robles argued that Spain sees the need for NATO's relationship with the partners in the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative to be given special treatment, and for a strategy to be agreed upon that would be endorsed by the heads of state and government at the Washington summit.

Non official translation