Remarks by President Charles Michel before the second day of the video conference of the members of the European Council - Hoofdinhoud

I am really pleased to have this opportunity this morning to welcome you dear Jens (Stoltenberg).

I think it is important to discuss security, to discuss defence and I am pleased that we will have this morning an exchange of views on all those topics. NATO played and plays a key role in binding North America and Europe. We share the same democratic values. We have common strategic interests. And I am totally convinced that the new Biden administration offers a unique opportunity to renew the strong trans-Atlantic alliance between Europe and the United States.

We have some common priorities that I think we'll discuss this morning. First, we want more stability and more predictability in our immediate neighbourhood, and we need to discuss the tools we are ready to use in order to reach this goal.

Second, we face new kinds of threats, cyber, hybrid, and disinformation. And we need to strengthen our resilience, we also need to adapt our tools.

And my third point is a question of the industrial basis that we need to strengthen, and the technological base that we need to improve. And we see that there are possible synergies between the digital, space and defence.

Finally, I'm convinced that strong partnerships require strong partners. And it is why I am convinced that a stronger European Union is a stronger NATO.

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