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Updated June 9th, 2022 at 15:01 IST

NATO Chief abruptly cancels Berlin trip ahead of preparatory meeting for Madrid summit

North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has abruptly cancelled his visit to Berlin which was scheduled for Thursday.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
NATO
Image: AP | Image:self
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In the latest development, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has abruptly cancelled his visit to Berlin which was scheduled for Thursday. The German Defence Ministry stated that it received the information about the sudden cancellation of the NATO chief's visit. "Nothing is known about the reasons for cancelling the visit," the ministry said in a statement, European Parvada reported. Notably, Stoltenberg was scheduled to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht in Berlin. 

According to reports, the meeting was to focus on preparations for the NATO summit slated for late June in Madrid. The German Defence stated that the agenda of the visit also included the strengthening of NATO's eastern flank, a new NATO strategic framework, and the accession of Finland and Sweden to the intergovernmental alliance. NATO chief has said that he would "welcome" Finland and Sweden "with open arms" if they decide to join the 30-member military alliance. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Scholz stated that his government will push for the Nordic countries to join the military alliance as soon as possible. 

Germany to have largest conventional army among NATO countries: Chancellor Scholz

Meanwhile, the German Chancellor has claimed that the country will soon have the largest conventional army among NATO countries in Europe. Speaking to the German media, he said that a planned special package of 100 billion euros ($107bn) for the Bundeswehr, the German Armed Forces, is expected to strengthen the country and its allies significantly. After weeks of discussion, the German Parliament agreed on the legislative framework for the special fund on May 29. In principle, this clears the way for large-scale weapon orders from the armaments industry.

NATO intends to boost defence capabilities across its entire territory

Notably, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has claimed that the military alliance intends to bolster its defence capabilities not only in the Eastern flank but across its entire territory. On May 30, he made this statement at an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of Spain's accession to NATO. Speaking at the event, Stoltenberg said that nobody can tell exactly when the Ukraine crisis would come to an end and that the alliance should be prepared for long-lasting hostility. The NATO chief further said that the intergovernmental military alliance will design the course for the next decade at the forthcoming Madrid summit, which is scheduled to take place on June 29-30.

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Published June 9th, 2022 at 15:01 IST

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