WEBVTT 00:04.232 --> 00:07.815 (camera shutters clicking) 00:12.766 --> 00:14.321 (muffled speaking) 00:14.321 --> 00:16.725 - Thanks. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:16.725 --> 00:20.156 - [Josep] They changed the flags. (chuckles) 00:20.156 --> 00:21.170 - [Woman] Good evening, everyone, 00:21.170 --> 00:23.200 and welcome to this joint press statement 00:23.200 --> 00:26.330 ahead of the bilateral meeting between Josep Borrell, 00:26.330 --> 00:28.830 High Representative/Vice President of the Commission, 00:28.830 --> 00:31.990 and Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg. 00:31.990 --> 00:34.150 High Representative, please. 00:34.150 --> 00:35.670 - Thank you. 00:35.670 --> 00:39.630 Much welcome to the Secretary General of the NATO 00:39.630 --> 00:43.310 at the premises of the European External Action service. 00:43.310 --> 00:46.140 It is the first time we meet in my condition 00:46.140 --> 00:50.120 of High Representative, but we have been meeting 00:50.120 --> 00:53.230 many, many times, we are old friends. 00:53.230 --> 00:56.148 We have been happy to share the responsibilities 00:56.148 --> 01:00.203 for defend you, the NATO, and me, European Union. 01:02.740 --> 01:07.740 - Okay, High Representative/Vice President Borrell, 01:08.169 --> 01:10.760 dear Josep, it's really great to see you 01:10.760 --> 01:13.150 and to meet you again. 01:13.150 --> 01:17.240 But as you said, the first time in your new capacity 01:17.240 --> 01:20.490 as High Representative/Vice President. 01:20.490 --> 01:24.160 And I really look forward to working with you. 01:24.160 --> 01:26.740 NATO-EU cooperation is something 01:26.740 --> 01:28.730 which is very close to my heart. 01:28.730 --> 01:33.290 And it is great to see that we have been able 01:33.290 --> 01:37.760 to lift the NATO-EU cooperation to new levels, 01:37.760 --> 01:39.090 to unprecedented levels. 01:39.090 --> 01:41.570 And I think it is a great responsibility 01:41.570 --> 01:45.500 for you and me to make sure that we continue to strengthen 01:45.500 --> 01:49.183 the cooperation between NATO and the European Union. 01:50.070 --> 01:52.680 Let me also congratulate you on your appointment 01:52.680 --> 01:57.680 and highlight that in your new position, 01:58.290 --> 02:02.100 you and I, we will be working closely together. 02:02.100 --> 02:04.300 You are right that we have been working closely together 02:04.300 --> 02:08.580 also before, in your previous capacity as foreign minister, 02:08.580 --> 02:11.870 but now we will continue that cooperation 02:11.870 --> 02:14.463 in your new position. 02:16.660 --> 02:19.880 I'm also grateful that we meet in your first week 02:19.880 --> 02:22.860 as the High Representative and Vice President. 02:22.860 --> 02:26.377 I think this highlights and underlines the importance 02:26.377 --> 02:28.870 of the NATO-EU cooperation. 02:28.870 --> 02:31.590 And the NATO-EU cooperation was also an issue 02:31.590 --> 02:36.320 that was addressed and welcomed 02:37.520 --> 02:41.893 when the NATO leaders met in London last week. 02:44.084 --> 02:47.090 The NATO leaders welcomed that our two organizations 02:47.090 --> 02:51.340 have achieved unprecedented progress in our cooperation 02:51.340 --> 02:54.620 in areas such as responding to the migration 02:54.620 --> 02:58.750 and refugees crisis, improving military mobility, 02:58.750 --> 03:02.650 and defending against hybrid and cyber threats. 03:02.650 --> 03:05.010 We're also working together to support partners 03:05.010 --> 03:07.080 to the east and the south, 03:07.080 --> 03:09.670 including Bosnia and Herzegovina, 03:09.670 --> 03:11.720 Moldova and Tunisia. 03:11.720 --> 03:13.350 And we are working more closely together 03:13.350 --> 03:15.800 in the fight against terrorism. 03:15.800 --> 03:20.800 I am a strong supporter of EU efforts on defense. 03:21.000 --> 03:24.600 Done in the right way, this can lead to more capabilities, 03:24.600 --> 03:27.450 better burden sharing, and can strengthen 03:27.450 --> 03:31.020 both the European Union and NATO. 03:31.020 --> 03:33.320 To make this possible, we need the fullest 03:33.320 --> 03:37.790 possible involvement of non-EU Allies in defense initiatives 03:37.790 --> 03:41.170 such as PESCO and the European Defence Fund, 03:41.170 --> 03:44.460 and forces and capabilities generated by the EU efforts 03:44.460 --> 03:48.070 must also be available for NATO. 03:48.070 --> 03:52.450 Non-EU Allies, like the United States, Canada, 03:52.450 --> 03:56.200 Norway, and Turkey make crucial contributions 03:56.200 --> 03:58.500 to European security. 03:58.500 --> 04:02.270 And after Brexit, 80% of NATO's defense spending 04:02.270 --> 04:05.120 will come from non-EU countries. 04:05.120 --> 04:07.660 So the EU cannot replace NATO when it comes 04:07.660 --> 04:10.410 to the defense of Europe. 04:10.410 --> 04:13.454 But at the same time, we welcome the EU efforts on defense 04:13.454 --> 04:16.760 because we strongly believe that that can strengthen 04:16.760 --> 04:19.120 both EU and NATO. 04:19.120 --> 04:22.410 Last week, Allied leaders decided to initiate 04:22.410 --> 04:25.320 a reflection process, under my leadership, 04:25.320 --> 04:27.670 to strengthen further 04:27.670 --> 04:30.880 the political dimension of NATO. 04:30.880 --> 04:35.050 This is very relevant for the European Union, 04:35.050 --> 04:38.470 and I will work to ensure that NATO and the EU 04:38.470 --> 04:42.910 continue to complement and not compete with one another. 04:42.910 --> 04:45.600 The security challenges we face today 04:45.600 --> 04:48.260 are too complex for any one nation 04:48.260 --> 04:51.520 or organization to face alone. 04:51.520 --> 04:56.030 And neither NATO nor the EU have all the tools necessary 04:56.030 --> 04:58.340 to keep our people safe. 04:58.340 --> 05:02.640 But by working together, we make a formidable team, 05:02.640 --> 05:04.570 and we can achieve a lot. 05:04.570 --> 05:07.510 So High Representative/Vice President Borrell, 05:07.510 --> 05:10.200 thank you again for your welcome. 05:10.200 --> 05:13.010 I really look forward to working with you, 05:13.010 --> 05:17.600 and you will always find a friend in me and in NATO. 05:17.600 --> 05:19.551 So thank you so much, 05:19.551 --> 05:23.023 and congratulations once again with your appointment. 05:24.040 --> 05:24.923 - Thank you. 05:25.920 --> 05:27.103 Thank you for coming. 05:28.600 --> 05:31.853 Working together is how the EU works. 05:32.900 --> 05:37.550 NATO is the strongest military alliance in the world. 05:37.550 --> 05:39.620 And it is and it will remain 05:40.600 --> 05:44.060 the common ground for European defense. 05:44.060 --> 05:48.120 The basis, the cornerstone of the collective defense 05:48.120 --> 05:52.793 of many, most European Union member state. 05:53.780 --> 05:56.810 I am glad to know that in London 05:56.810 --> 06:01.810 you stand clearly behind us working together. 06:02.610 --> 06:06.360 And the sentence unprecedented progress 06:06.360 --> 06:11.270 in NATO and European Union cooperation says a lot, 06:11.270 --> 06:13.810 much more than any consideration 06:13.810 --> 06:18.010 about quarrels and these engagements 06:18.010 --> 06:21.780 that has been talking many, many people. 06:21.780 --> 06:26.170 The fact is, and you have been stressing it, 06:26.170 --> 06:28.850 that for European Union defense, 06:28.850 --> 06:33.850 for European's people defense, NATO cooperation 06:33.920 --> 06:36.203 is a fundamental element. 06:37.100 --> 06:40.060 And nothing will change it. 06:40.060 --> 06:43.640 So we have to work together in order to bring forth 06:45.240 --> 06:48.540 the cooperation between the member state of European Union 06:49.530 --> 06:53.840 and to build a genuine European defense union, 06:53.840 --> 06:57.474 which is not an alternative to NATO. 06:57.474 --> 07:02.360 It is not something apart from NATO. 07:02.360 --> 07:03.873 It's a complement. 07:04.754 --> 07:08.010 You have to look at that in a complementary way. 07:08.010 --> 07:10.110 Meaningful cooperation. 07:10.110 --> 07:12.010 A strong cooperation. 07:12.010 --> 07:17.010 Sharing the responsibility of our security and our citizens. 07:17.390 --> 07:20.650 Acting as partners whenever possible. 07:20.650 --> 07:24.500 And, if necessary, alone. 07:24.500 --> 07:29.320 But in most of the cases, we need to be together. 07:29.320 --> 07:32.260 So Secretary General, thank you for your visit, 07:32.260 --> 07:35.350 thank you for sharing with me all the information 07:35.350 --> 07:38.410 about this relevant meeting in London. 07:38.410 --> 07:42.780 And I am at your disposal to continue building 07:42.780 --> 07:47.780 a strong relationship between European Defense projects 07:48.210 --> 07:49.530 and the NATO projects. 07:49.530 --> 07:51.090 I don't know how many of them, 07:51.090 --> 07:55.280 but I think that there are more than 70 projects 07:55.280 --> 07:58.180 which are being developing together, 07:58.180 --> 08:01.610 and most of the activities of the PESCO policy 08:01.610 --> 08:05.650 is being put in practice together with the NATO. 08:05.650 --> 08:07.870 So thank you very much, and give me your hand. 08:07.870 --> 08:08.833 - Thank you so much. 08:08.833 --> 08:09.918 - Thank you. - Thank you. 08:09.918 --> 08:11.300 (camera shutters clicking) 08:11.300 --> 08:13.300 - Thank you. - Thank you.