Sánchez and Stoltenberg visit the facilities of the Summit, a historic event at which the 'Madrid Strategic Concept' will be approved

2022.6.28

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Madrid Trade Fair and Exhibiton Center (IFEMA), Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, visited the NATO Summit facilities at the IFEMA exhibition centre, where the "symbolic handover" took place. During the visit, Sánchez stressed that the geopolitical circumstances make this a historic meeting in which the 30 allies will adopt the new 'Madrid Strategic Concept', a document that will guide the organisation's project for the next decade.

The President of the Government of Spain, in a joint intervention with the NATO Secretary General, has underlined that "The Madrid Summit will be one of the most momentous in the Alliance's history, given the difficult strategic context in which it will take place, and the important decisions that will be taken for the future of the Alliance". Among other decisions, the 'Madrid Strategic Concept' will be adopted during the Summit.

During his speech, Stoltenberg personally thanked Sánchez for his work to strengthen transatlantic relations, highlighting Spain's commitment to the Alliance and our country's participation in NATO missions.

Spain, a country committed to NATO and a reliable partner, is hosting this Summit in Madrid on 29 and 30 June, at a key moment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine which, as Sánchez stressed, "is the greatest security challenge facing the Atlantic Alliance, together with the EU, since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disappearance of the Soviet Union".

This is the second time that Spain has hosted this event, after the one it organised in 1997, also in Madrid, and now it is doing so again 40 years after Spain joined the organisation.

NATO's Madrid Summit

Foto: Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The leaders walked around the facilities, more than 54,000 square metres which, from tomorrow, will be occupied by nearly 5,000 people, including official delegations, journalists, and security and support staff. The space has been adapted to meet NATO's strict security requirements, including the Atlantic Council room, where Allied meetings will be held in the utmost privacy. The space also has the capacity for 1,500 journalists to carry out their work.

Sanchez stressed that "the success of the Summit is a success for all Spaniards. With it, Spain's prestige, and its image in the eyes of our partners and allies, will be strengthened.

Agenda of a historic summit

The Summit will be attended by all 30 NATO allies; a group of eight invited countries, including Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Japan, Ukraine and Georgia; and the two candidates for Alliance membership, Sweden and Finland. In addition to the NATO Secretary General, the Summit will be attended by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Seven other countries will take part in events in the margins of the Summit, including the heads of state or government of the four EU countries that are not NATO Allies, but who are invited to the Euro-Atlantic dinner hosted by the Prime Minister on 29 June. The dinner, at which NATO-EU relations will be discussed, will be held at the Prado Museum. Mauritania, Jordan and Bosnia and Herzegovina will attend dinners organised at ministerial level on the same day.

Before the Summit begins, Sánchez will take part in the NATO Public Forum Madrid, a side event organised by NATO, the Elcano Royal Institute and other organisations, to discuss the competition between the major powers. The Forum will be attended by leading defence and security think tanks. During the summit, Sánchez will hold bilateral meetings with heads of state and government.

During the Summit, organised around three working sessions, the Strategic Concept and other important decisions for the Alliance will be adopted. Russia's war against Ukraine will be discussed, a session in which Ukraine's President Volodymir Zelensky will take part via video-conference. Its impact on the most exposed countries, such as Georgia, whose prime minister will also attend the summit, will likewise be discussed. The leaders will also disucss the challenges and threats on the southern flank, such as terrorism and food security. The possible accession of Sweden and Finland will also be discussed, as well as relations with global partners such as the European Union and Indo-Pacific partners: South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

The President of the Government of Spain concluded his speech by stressing that "We will lay the foundations for the next decade of structures that will enable us to ensure the security of Europe and the strength of the transatlantic link, with the intention of fostering peace in the world. Everything is ready and we look forward to a successful NATO Summit in Madrid.

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