NATO should be prepared for threats from all sides: Polish FM
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
09.10.2017 17:51
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has said that NATO should take a “360 degrees” approach to ensuring it is prepared to face potential threats at all of its borders.
Teodor Meleșcanu and Witold Waszczykowski. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański.
Waszczykowski on Monday spoke in Warsaw after a meeting of foreign ministers from Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia which together with Poland make up the so-called Bucharest Nine, a cooperation initiative launched in 2014.
Waszczykowski told a press conference that the agenda included conclusions that NATO should draw from recent Russo-Belarusian Zapad17 war games.
He said the drills caused instability in the region, “among other things,” but did not elaborate.
He added that a two-track policy towards Russia – that efforts to increase NATO members' defence capabilities run alongside attempts to maintain and expand dialogue with Moscow – should be adopted.
The Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleșcanu, said the talks aimed to “exchange opinions and prepare for the upcoming NATO summit,” which will take place in Brussels sometime next year.
He added that the countries agreed to further preparations for the summit, including meetings of parliamentary leaders, prime ministers, and presidents of the Bucharest Nine. (mk/vb)