Secretary Antony J. Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met in Washington on July 9, 2024, ahead of NATO's 75th anniversary summit. Blinken expressed his pleasure at being with Stoltenberg, highlighting their visit to Nationals Park where Stoltenberg threw the first pitch.
"We have NATO coming together for its 75th anniversary here in Washington," Blinken said. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the Alliance continues to defend its members effectively. "Thanks to the Secretary General and his leadership, we have an Alliance that is stronger, larger, and more fit for purpose than it’s been."
Blinken also praised President Biden's role in leading the Alliance to its current state. "I’ve seen it every single day these past three and a half years with the Secretary General," he noted.
The Secretary underscored NATO's foundational commitment: "An attack on one is an attack on all." He attributed NATO's success over 75 years to this principle, which he described as "the strongest possible deterrent to aggression."
Stoltenberg reciprocated Blinken's sentiments. "Thank you so much for hosting me and my delegation here again," he said. Reflecting on his experience throwing the first pitch at Nationals Park, Stoltenberg humorously remarked that he should focus on politics rather than baseball.
Stoltenberg outlined the significance of the upcoming summit. "We’re also going to make important decisions for the future on deterrence and defense – on Ukraine, on partnerships in the Asia Pacific." He highlighted recent Russian missile attacks as evidence of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and stressed the need for increased support for Ukraine.
Stoltenberg mentioned that Allies are stepping up their defense investments: "23 Allies are investing more, or at least 2 percent of their GDP, on defense." This figure has doubled compared to four years ago.
The meeting concluded with mutual expressions of gratitude between Blinken and Stoltenberg.
