Defense Minister Nuno Melo highlighted this Wednesday the consensus reached around the selection of Mark Rutte as NATO Secretary General and
Speaking to journalists as part of his participation in the Economy and Defense seminar in Lisbon, organized by the CIP – Confederação Empresarial de Portugal and idD Portugal Defense, Nuno Melo considered it a “good sign” that “in very difficult times” In geopolitical terms, countries have reached a consensus on about the succession of the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg at the head of NATO.
“When things change from a geopolitical perspective, the widespread consensus around the choice is a good sign, as stability in NATO helps us better confront these challenges to the future,” the defense official said.
Nuno Melo also stated that the change does not change Portugal’s participation in the organization, saying that Portugal “will put all its efforts into building peace, also strengthening military capabilities, because that is what they are created for, to guarantee peace.”
Rutte, 57, the current prime minister of the Netherlands, will succeed Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg as secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on October 1.
Earlier, the Minister of Defence spoke at a seminar held this morning at the Culturgest building in Lisbon and stressed the importance of investing in defence as a fundamental means of protecting Portuguese and Western democracies.
Nuno Melo said that the European continent was already undergoing a “transition from a peace economy to a war economy” and reiterated the government’s desire to strengthen defense resources in order to “recover time that has, to a certain extent, been lost.”
“Only with such a broad approach will we be able to establish Portugal as an ally and partner, recognized by everyone and everywhere, relevant, useful and trustworthy in the organizations of which we are part, be it NATO, the European Union, the UN, the CPLP and in those regions where many of our interests are being realized,” he added.
The minister said that investments in the defense industry should be of public and private origin, arguing that this association “can bring common benefits” and guarantees “a return to the country’s economy.”
Nuno Melo also recalled the executive’s goal to achieve NATO’s target of investing at least 2% of GDP in defense and stressed the need to resolve the “serious personnel situation, retain the best and value former combatants.”
In this speech, he also called for stronger defense and greater involvement of Portuguese businesses in “the rearmament of our armed forces and innovation in the military sector.”
“When we invest in the defense industry, we are not betting on war, we are betting on peace, because it is through operationally strong armed forces that we achieve from the very beginning the element of deterrence within NATO, which prevents wars at will,” concluded He.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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