Brussels, April 5, (dpa/GNA) - NATO foreign ministers are meeting on Wednesday for a second day of talks with freshly-minted member Finland in attendance.
The Nordic country became the 31st member to join NATO after applying in the aftermath of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
NATO allies are hosting representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea at alliance headquarters in Brussels to discuss China.
In the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, allies are to discuss “China’s growing alignment with Russia,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of the meeting.
As well as concerns that China is considering supplying arms to Russia and Beijing’s aggressive stance towards Taiwan, NATO allies are to discuss the Ukraine war’s impact on the Indo-Pacific region.
“What happens in Europe matters for the Indo-Pacific, for Asia. And what happens in Asia matters for Europe,” Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.
“And the war in Ukraine really demonstrates that with all its global ramifications,” he said.
NATO allies are to also discuss global terrorism. Sweden, while yet to formally join the alliance over Turkish opposition, is attending the gathering as an invitee to NATO.
Turkey criticizes Sweden over what it says is a lack of cooperation in fighting terrorism.
In preparation for a NATO leaders’ summit in Vilnius, allies are to also discuss more ambitious defence spending and work towards setting the alliance’s current pledge of 2% of GDP as a minimum.
GNA