Joint EU-US-NATO Fighting Step

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, the US Special Representative for Climate, John Kerry, the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, and the Vice-President of the Commission of the EU, Frans Timmermans, met in Brussels to discuss the impact of climate change on peace and security.

Representatives of the EU, US and NATO, who also attended the event organized by the US-based German Marshall Fund in Brussels, made a joint written statement.

“IMMEDIATE, DIRECT AND GROWING”

According to the statement, the parties noted that climate change is an existential threat to the world and has “immediate, direct and escalating” negative effects on security and defense.

To this end, NATO and the EU decided to continue strengthening their cooperation to address the security implications of climate change, to explore such impacts and possibilities for an intensified dialogue on security.

The parties agreed to identify opportunities for cooperation on operational information, such as the security aspects of climate change and environmental degradation, energy efficiency, measurement and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from military activities and facilities, at the Summit of NATO to be held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, next month.

The EU, the US and NATO decided to continue high-level meetings on these issues. (AA)