Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
NATO headquarters in Brussels announced on Friday that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will meet next Tuesday, January 10, with the President of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to sign the third declaration of cooperation between NATO and the unified European bloc.
In mid-July 2018, NATO and the European Union issued a joint declaration following the meeting of the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission with the Secretary General of NATO.
The declaration affirmed sharing the same values and determination to address common challenges, stressing the importance and need for cooperation and security and defense initiatives that benefit both parties.
The declaration said that, in consultation with EU and NATO member states, and working with and for the benefit of all, the partnership will continue in a spirit of full mutual openness and compliance with the independence of decision-making and actions of the organizations concerned without prejudice to the specific nature of the security and defense policy of any of the members.
The declaration stated that in this context, we consider transparency crucial while encouraging the full participation of NATO countries that are not members of the European Union in its initiatives and encouraging the largest possible participation of European Union member states that are not part of the Alliance in the Alliance's initiatives.
The declaration noted that the two organizations have developed a wide range of tools to provide greater security for citizens in Europe and beyond, in addition to the significant cooperation established over 15 years ago between NATO and the European Union, two unique and essential partners.
He added that the two parties are implementing the goals that were set two years ago, including the procedures for maritime cooperation in the Mediterranean, which contributes to combating smuggling and trafficking of migrants, thus alleviating human suffering. In a timely manner including electronic attacks, countering disinformation, building flexibility between members and partners and testing special procedures through parallelism and coordination in exercises and supporting the defense and security capacity of neighbors in the east and south.
The Euro-Atlantic Joint Declaration welcomed the efforts made by NATO in the field of collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security, to ensure defense and security in the Euro-Atlantic region, especially through deterrence, defense, stabilization and combating terrorism.
And after their meeting in Brussels in February 2021, European Council President Charles Michel said, "A strong partnership requires strong partners." Adding, "NATO has played and is playing a major role in connecting North America with Europe," explaining at the same time, "We share the same democratic values, we have common strategic interests, and I am absolutely convinced that the new Biden administration will provide a unique opportunity to renew the nature of this transatlantic alliance between Europe and the United States." .”

For his part, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, "The threats we faced before the pandemic are still there, the aggressive actions of Russia, the most brutal forms of terrorism as well as sophisticated cyberattacks, the rise of China, the security implications of climate change. So no country or country can A continent to face these challenges alone, not Europe alone, nor North America alone, but through joint cooperation between Europe and North America.