“O “The deepening of the strategic partnership between Russia and China, as well as their combined attempts to destabilize and reshape the international law-based order, raise deep concerns,” read the final statement of the North Atlantic Council, the highest political body of the Atlantic Alliance.
“The People’s Republic of China now plays a decisive role in Russia’s war against Ukraine through its so-called ‘unlimited’ partnership and the extensive support it provides to Russia’s defense industrial base,” NATO leaders say, calling on Beijing, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to uphold the principles of the UN Charter.
For the North Atlantic Council, China “continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security”, being “a continuous source of malicious cyber and hybrid activities, including disinformation activities”.
The North Atlantic Council further acknowledges that other “various actors, both state and non-state, are undertaking increasingly aggressive hybrid actions against Allies.”
“We recall that hybrid operations carried out against the Allies may reach the threshold corresponding to an armed attack and lead the North Atlantic Council to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty”, the final declaration explains, in a reference to the article that says that an attack on one of the members is an attack on all.
At the press conference following the conclusion of the meeting, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also had a word for NATO partners, especially in the Indo-Pacific, stressing that these partnerships are not a temporary convenience, but a “strategic shift”.
“It is important to recognize that the 32 allies have clearly stated that China is a decisive enabler of the Russian invasion. This is the first time that all allies have agreed so clearly and issued a statement to that effect,” he said.
In the final declaration, NATO leaders recognize the importance of cooperation with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, given the vital importance of protecting the Indo-Pacific region.
“We are pleased that our partners in the Asia-Pacific region continue to contribute to Euro-Atlantic security”, the Council concluded, adding that the Western Balkans and Black Sea regions are also “strategically important areas”.
The summit marking NATO’s 75th anniversary is also the last for current Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who will be succeeded by former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Under the leadership of Norwegian Stoltenberg, which began on October 1, 2014, NATO gained four new members by integrating Montenegro (2017), North Macedonia (2020), Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024).
Portugal is one of the 12 countries in Europe and North America that founded NATO in 1949.
[Notícia atualizada às 23h08]
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2596164/lideres-da-nato-expressam-preocupacao-com-parceria-entre-russia-e-china
