The heads of state and government of the NATO They approved this Wednesday, June 29, the new Strategic Concept for the Alliance, which replaces the one from Lisbon in 2010. And it has changed radically, according to Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the organization.
The document defines Russia as “the most significant and direct threat” to the Allies, and points to China for the first time because of the challenge it poses to the security, interests and values of the Allies.
It establishes the priorities, tasks and approaches of the defensive alliance for the next decade. The concept describes the security environment, reaffirms security values and describes the main purposes of the Alliance. The document also states that climate change “is a defining challenge of our time.” They have created a method of using military satellites to map the effects of climate change.
References to the ‘south flank’
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Regarding the reference to the southern flank, on which Spain has insisted so much, the Concept points out, in point number 11: “Conflict, fragility and instability in Africa and the Middle East It directly affects our safety and that of our partners. NATO’s southern neighbourhood, especially the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel, faces interconnected security, demographic, economic and political challenges.”
It adds a new reference to climate change, ensuring that those conflicts in that area are affected by it, but also by the fragility of institutions, health emergencies and food insecurity. “This situation also provides a fertile field for the proliferation of armed groups, including terrorist organizations.”