NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană delivered a virtual address to the second edition of the Prespa Forum Dialogue on 17 June 2022, underlining the need to “prepare for a world where authoritarian regimes use any means to test our resilience and challenge our democratic values and our way of life”.
Looking ahead to the NATO Summit in Madrid in under two weeks’ time, Mr Geoană noted that leaders are set to address one of the key topics of the Prespa Forum: how to ensure resilience in a more contested world. He explained that NATO will use the Summit as an opportunity to strengthen its collective defence and broaden its approach to security to reflect old and new challenges, from Russia’s renewed aggression to hybrid threats, climate change, and disruptive technologies. Maintaining individual and collective resilience will also be a key part of the new Strategic Concept that NATO leaders will adopt in Madrid.
The Deputy Secretary General further underlined the importance of the Western Balkans, saying “NATO remains strongly committed to the stability of this strategically important region”. He thanked North Macedonia for its contributions to Allied security, including through its role in NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, support for Ukraine, and increased defence spending. The country is NATO’s newest member, having joined the Alliance in March 2020.
