Brussels Summit Declaration Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels 11-12 July 2018 11 Jul 2018 - Press Release 2018 074 Issued on 11 Jul 2018 Last updated 30 Aug 2018 10 11 1 We the Heads of State and Government of the 29 member nations of the North Atlantic Alliance have gathered in Brussels at a time when the security of our nations and the rulesbased international order are being challenged   NATO will continue to strive for peace security and stability in the whole of the Euro-Atlantic area   We are united in our commitment to the Washington Treaty the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations UN and the vital transatlantic bond   We are determined to protect and defend our indivisible security our freedom and our common values including individual liberty human rights democracy and the rule of law   NATO remains the foundation for strong collective defence and the essential transatlantic forum for security consultations and decisions among Allies   The Alliance will continue to pursue a 360-degree approach to security and to ful l e ectively all three core tasks as set out in the Strategic Concept collective defence crisis management and cooperative security   NATO is a defensive Alliance   NATO’s greatest responsibility is to protect and defend our territory and our populations against attack    Any attack against one Ally will be regarded as an attack against us all as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty   We will continue to stand together and act together on the basis of solidarity shared purpose and fair burden-sharing   2 We face a dangerous unpredictable and uid security environment with enduring challenges and threats from all strategic directions from state and non-state actors from military forces and from terrorist cyber and hybrid attacks   Russia’s aggressive actions including the threat and use of force to attain political goals challenge the Alliance and are undermining EuroAtlantic security and the rules-based international order   Instability and continuing crises across the Middle East and North Africa are fuelling terrorism   They also contribute to irregular migration and human tra cking   The ongoing crisis in Syria has a direct e ect on the stability of the region and the security of the Alliance as a whole   We face hybrid challenges including disinformation campaigns and malicious cyber activities   The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced missile technology also continues to threaten the security of our nations    In light of all this our unity and solidarity are stronger than ever we will take all necessary steps to ensure our collective defence   3 We rea rm our unwavering commitment to all aspects of the Defence Investment Pledge agreed at the 2014 Wales Summit and to submit credible national plans on its implementation including the spending guidelines for 2024 planned capabilities and contributions   Fair burden sharing underpins the Alliance’s cohesion solidarity credibility and ability to ful l our Article 3 and Article 5 commitments   We welcome the considerable progress made since the Wales Summit with four consecutive years of real growth in non-US defence expenditure   All Allies have started to increase the amount they spend on defence in real terms and some two-thirds of Allies have national plans in place to spend 2% of their Gross Domestic Product on defence by 2024   More than half of Allies are spending more than 20% of their defence expenditures on major equipment including related research and development and according to their national plans 24 Allies will meet the 20% guideline by 2024   Allies are delivering more of the heavier high-end capabilities we require and are improving the readiness deployability sustainability and interoperability of their forces   The number of activities in which we are engaged has increased and Allies continue to make valuable force and capability contributions that bene t the security of the Euro-Atlantic area through NATO’s operations missions and other activities as well as through the operations and missions conducted under national authority and the authority of other organisations   As we take stock of the national plans that exist today we appreciate the unprecedented progress and recognise that much work still remains   We are committed to improving the balance of sharing the costs and responsibilities of Alliance membership   4 For over two decades NATO has worked to build a partnership with Russia including through the mechanism of the NATO-Russia Council NRC   Russia’s recent activities and policies have reduced stability and security increased unpredictability and changed the security environment   While NATO stands by its international commitments Russia has breached the values principles and commitments which underpin the NATO-Russia relationship as outlined in the 1997 Basic Document of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council the 1997 NATORussia Founding Act and 2002 Rome Declaration broken the trust at the core of our cooperation and challenged the fundamental principles of the global and Euro-Atlantic security architecture   Decisions we have taken are fully consistent with our international commitments and therefore cannot be regarded by anyone as contradicting the NATO-Russia Founding Act   5 We rea rm our decisions towards Russia agreed at the Wales and Warsaw Summits   We continue to respond to the deteriorated security environment by enhancing our deterrence and defence posture including by a forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance   We have also suspended all practical civilian and military cooperation between NATO and Russia while remaining open to political dialogue   NATO does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia   6 The Euro-Atlantic security environment has become less stable and predictable as a result of Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea and ongoing destabilisation of eastern Ukraine its military posture and provocative military activities including near NATO borders such as the deployment of modern dual-capable missiles in Kaliningrad repeated violation of NATO Allied airspace and the continued military build-up in Crimea its signi cant investments in the modernisation of its strategic forces its irresponsible and aggressive nuclear rhetoric its large-scale no-notice snap exercises and the growing number of its exercises with a nuclear dimension   This is compounded by Russia’s continued violation nonimplementation and circumvention of numerous obligations and commitments in the realm of arms control and con dence- and security-building measures   Russia is also challenging Euro-Atlantic security and stability through hybrid actions including attempted interference in the election processes and the sovereignty of our nations as was the case in Montenegro widespread disinformation campaigns and malicious cyber activities   We condemn the attack using a military-grade nerve agent in Salisbury United Kingdom and note the independent con rmation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons OPCW of the nerve agent used   The UK assesses that it is highly likely that the Russian Federation was responsible for the attack and that there is no plausible alternative explanation   We stand in solidarity with the UK in its assessment   7 We reiterate our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine Georgia and the Republic of Moldova within their internationally recognised borders   In accordance with its international commitments we call on Russia to withdraw the forces it has stationed in all three countries without their consent   We strongly condemn Russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea which we do not and will not recognise   The discrimination against the Crimean Tatars and members of other local communities must end   International monitoring structures must be allowed to carry out their essential work in view of the protection of human rights   We call for the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements by all sides and support the e orts of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group   NATO’s response is in support of this overall e ort which includes sanctions as decided by the European Union EU the G7 and others to promote a peaceful solution to the con ict and to address Russia’s actions   We urge Russia to cease all political nancial and military support to militant groups and stop intervening militarily in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to withdraw troops equipment and mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine and return to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination   We are deeply concerned by the use of torture and the transfer of Ukrainian citizens to prisons in Russia We stress the importance of the safety and full and unhindered access for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe OSCE Special Monitoring Mission up to and including the Russia-Ukraine border   We call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia as independent states to implement the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 cease re particularly the withdrawal of Russian forces from the territory of Georgia to end its militarisation of these regions and to stop the construction of border-like obstacles   We also call on Russia to withdraw its troops from the territory of the Republic of Moldova and to continue to engage constructively in the Transnistria Settlement Process   We are committed to supporting the Republic of Moldova’s democratic reforms and defence capacity building e orts   8 We remain open to a periodic focused and meaningful dialogue with a Russia willing to engage on the basis of reciprocity in the NRC with a view to avoiding misunderstanding miscalculation and unintended escalation and to increase transparency and predictability   We will continue to seek to substantiate our dialogue with Russia to address the critical issues that we face   Since 2016 we have held seven NRC meetings at Ambassadorial level that helped us communicate clearly our positions   The con ict in and around Ukraine is in current circumstances the rst topic on our agenda   We remain committed to the current practice of reciprocal brie ngs in the NRC on military exercises before they take place as well as on posture   However while welcome voluntary transparency provided in the course of such brie ngs does not substitute for mandatory transparency under existing arms control agreements in particular the Vienna Document in the OSCE framework   We welcome that Russia is again using the military lines of communication with NATO   We remain committed to making good use of these channels to promote predictability and transparency and reduce risks and call on Russia to do so as well     9 We continue to believe that a partnership between NATO and Russia based on respect for international law and commitments including as re ected in the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the Rome Declaration would be of strategic value   But we cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which our Alliance and security in Europe and North America rest   Under current circumstances we regret that despite repeated calls by Allies and the international community for Russia to change course the conditions for that relationship do not exist   There can be no return to “business as usual” until there is a clear constructive change in Russia’s actions that demonstrates compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities   We will continue our strategic discussion on Euro-Atlantic security and our approach to Russia  NATO will continue to be transparent predictable and resolute   0 Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations continues to pose a direct threat to the security of our populations and to international stability and prosperity more broadly   We categorically reject terrorism as it directly challenges the values that unite the Alliance   Our solidarity and determination will prevail   We are committed to continue the ght against terrorism which has to be tackled through a coherent signi cant long-term e ort by the international community as a whole involving a wide range of instruments and actors   While nations retain the primary responsibility for their domestic security and their own resilience NATO adds value and has a role to play in complementarity with wider international e orts and in accordance with international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter   Cooperation within the Alliance can enhance Allies’ national e orts and capacity to prevent mitigate respond to and be resilient against acts of terrorism   We condemn all nancial support of terrorism   We are also mindful of the need to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism   NATO’s role in the ght against terrorism is an integral part of the Alliance’s 360-degree approach to deterrence and defence and projecting stability as such it contributes to all three core tasks collective defence crisis management and cooperative security Our approach to terrorism and its causes upholds all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions UNSCRs on the ght against terrorism   1 We are committed to NATO’s enhanced role in the international community’s ght against terrorism including through awareness and analysis preparedness and responsiveness capabilities capacity building and partnerships and operations   We will fully implement the Action Plan we agreed at our meeting in May 2017 and will update it by the end of 2018 to adapt to evolving priorities and to counter emerging terrorist threats   NATO’s enhanced contribution to ghting terrorism must continue to be supported by adequate and sustainable human and nancial resources as agreed   Building on our Defence Against Terrorism Programme of Work we will continue to improve our capabilities and technologies including to defend against improvised explosive devices and chemical biological radiological and nuclear CBRN threats and to counter terrorist misuse of technology   We have agreed a new biometric data policy which consistent with applicable national and international law and subject to national requirements and restrictions will further support our ability to identify returning foreign terrorist ghters and other threat actors and to comply with UNSCR 2396   NATO is part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Da’esh and has enhanced its AWACS and air-to-air refuelling support   NATO will also continue to engage as appropriate with partner countries and other international actors in particular the EU and the UN to ensure added value and complementarity   In this regard our capacity building and other partnership activities help partner countries ght terrorism themselves and deny terrorists safe haven which in turn strengthens NATO’s own security   NATO can also complement international e orts by drawing on Allied expertise   Mapping of counterterrorism capacity building activities in partner countries in cooperation with the partner country concerned would help NATO to better determine where it can best add value   2 We welcome the considerable progress made in strengthening our posture delivering on Wales and Warsaw commitments   While we have placed renewed emphasis on deterrence and collective defence we have also ensured that NATO retains its ability to project stability and ght against terrorism   We are united and resolute in our ability and willingness to defend one another and are determined to maintain the full range of capabilities necessary to provide the Alliance with a range of options to be able to continue to tailor our response to speci c circumstances and to respond to any threats from wherever they arise potentially from multiple directions in more than one region   As we continue to ensure that the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture remains credible coherent and resilient and that the Alliance can continue to safeguard the freedom and security of all Allies it is of strategic importance to increase responsiveness heighten readiness and improve reinforcement   We will continue to assess the relevant military elements of the Alliance’s strengthened deterrence and defence posture to ensure its e ectiveness   3 We continue to ensure the Alliance’s political and military responsiveness including through more regular exercises   To this end we will continue to actively and coherently manage the Alliance’s overall posture and to enhance our intelligence strategic awareness advance planning and decision-making   To face evolving security challenges we have taken steps to ensure that NATO can continue to act at the speed required   We welcome the progress in intelligence reform made since our decision in Warsaw to create an Assistant Secretary General position and a NATO Intelligence Division   We will continue to optimise NATO intelligence to facilitate timely and relevant support to Allied decision-making and operations including through improved warning and intelligence sharing particularly on terrorism hybrid and cyber   4 We also continue to reinvigorate our culture of readiness   As part of our e orts Allies continue to ensure that NATO has the full range of capabilities and forces that are trained interoperable deployable and ready to meet all Alliance requirements   Furthermore today we have agreed to launch a NATO Readiness Initiative   It will ensure that more high-quality combat-capable national forces at high readiness can be made available to NATO   From within the overall pool of forces Allies will o er an additional 30 major naval combatants 30 heavy or medium manoeuvre battalions and 30 kinetic air squadrons with enabling forces at 30 days’ readiness or less   They will be organised and trained as elements of larger combat formations in support of NATO’s overall deterrence and defence posture   The NATO Readiness Initiative will further enhance the Alliance’s rapid response capability either for reinforcement of Allies in support of deterrence or collective defence including for highintensity war ghting or for rapid military crisis intervention if required   It will also promote the importance of e ective combined arms and joint operations   5 Our deterrence and defence posture is underpinned by viable military reinforcement including from across the Atlantic   Looking in all directions and at all potential challenges and threats we will continue to strengthen and regularly exercise the Alliance’s ability to rapidly reinforce any Ally that comes under threat   We will not accept to be constrained by any potential adversary as regards the freedom of movement of Allied forces by land air or sea to and within any part of Alliance territory   Alliance capabilities training and exercises contribute to our ability to operate freely   6 Since Warsaw we have taken a number of steps to support the deployment and sustainment of Allied forces and their equipment into from and within the entire Alliance territory   To that end we welcome the Enablement Plan for SACEUR’s Area of Responsibility and we will give its implementation the highest priority at the national level   We have agreed to improve the necessary legislation and procedures enhance command and control and increase transport capabilities and we have also recognised the need to upgrade infrastructure in Europe   In addition today we have declared the initial operational capability of Rapid Air Mobility aimed at allowing short notice cross-border air movement in Europe   7 We are committed to strengthening our ability to deploy and sustain our forces and their equipment throughout the Alliance and beyond and aim to improve military mobility by land air or sea as soon as possible but no later than 2024   This requires a whole-of-government approach including through national plans with cross-government cooperation of civil and military actors in peacetime in crisis and in con ict   Defence Ministers will review progress annually   As a priority we aim to Shorten border crossing times and to that end provide diplomatic clearances for land sea and air movement within ve days by the end of 2019 and will consider bringing this period further down for rapid reinforcement Identify main and alternative supply routes capable of handling military transport by the end of 2018 Use suitable existing exercises to practise more regularly military mobility Set up a network between NATO national entities civil and military including the single National Points of Contact by the end of 2019 to facilitate and speed up communications and coordination with regard to border crossing   8 We reiterate that NATO’s e orts to ensure a coherent approach and synergies with the EU in the area of military mobility should be pursued including with regard to military mobility related procedures that should apply to all Allies equally   9 We have agreed to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defence posture in all domains   We are reinforcing our maritime posture and have taken concrete steps to improve our overall maritime situational awareness   We have prepared strategic assessments on the Baltic and Black Seas the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean   Through an enhanced exercise programme we will reinvigorate our collective maritime war ghting skills in key areas including anti-submarine warfare amphibious operations and protection of sea lines of communications   The posture will also ensure support to reinforcement by and from the sea including the transatlantic dimension with the North Atlantic being a line of communication for strategic reinforcement   In the air domain we have agreed a Joint Air Power Strategy which is a key enabler for NATO's peacetime Air Policing and Ballistic Missile Defence missions   It will strengthen our Integrated Air and Missile Defence and guide our aerospace capabilities to operate together jointly more swiftly and e ectively in peacetime crisis and con ict   We also face new threats from cruise missiles and the proliferation of related technology as well as from new challenges such as unmanned aerial vehicles and will monitor developments that could a ect Alliance security   Recognising that space is a highly dynamic and rapidly evolving area which is essential to a coherent Alliance deterrence and defence posture we have agreed to develop an overarching NATO Space Policy   20 Cyber threats to the security of the Alliance are becoming more frequent complex destructive and coercive   NATO will continue to adapt to the evolving cyber threat landscape which is a ected by both state and non-state actors including state-sponsored   Cyber defence is part of NATO’s core task of collective defence   We must be able to operate as e ectively in cyberspace as we do in the air on land and at sea to strengthen and support the Alliance’s overall deterrence and defence posture   We therefore continue to implement cyberspace as a domain of operations   We have agreed how to integrate sovereign cyber e ects provided voluntarily by Allies into Alliance operations and missions in the framework of strong political oversight   Rea rming NATO’s defensive mandate we are determined to employ the full range of capabilities including cyber to deter defend against and to counter the full spectrum of cyber threats including those conducted as part of a hybrid campaign   We need to bolster our intelligence-led situational awareness to support NATO’s decisionmaking and action   We continue to work together to develop measures which would enable us to impose costs on those who harm us   Individual Allies may consider when appropriate attributing malicious cyber activity and responding in a coordinated manner recognising attribution is a sovereign national prerogative   We are determined to deliver strong national cyber defences through full implementation of the Cyber Defence Pledge which is central to enhancing cyber resilience and raising the costs of a cyber attack   We rea rm our commitment to act in accordance with international law including the UN Charter international humanitarian law and human rights law as applicable   We also support work to maintain international peace and security in cyberspace and to promote stability and reduce the risk of con ict recognising that we all stand to bene t from a norms-based predictable and secure cyberspace   We will further develop our partnership with industry and academia from all Allies to keep pace with technological advances through innovation   21 Our nations have come under increasing challenge from both state and non-state actors who use hybrid activities that aim to create ambiguity and blur the lines between peace crisis and con ict   While the primary responsibility for responding to hybrid threats rests with the targeted nation NATO is ready upon Council decision to assist an Ally at any stage of a hybrid campaign   In cases of hybrid warfare the Council could decide to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty as in the case of armed attack   We are enhancing our resilience improving our situational awareness and strengthening our deterrence and defence posture   We are also expanding the tools at our disposal to address hostile hybrid activities   We announce the establishment of Counter Hybrid Support Teams which provide tailored targeted assistance to Allies upon their request in preparing for and responding to hybrid activities   We will continue to support our partners as they strengthen their resilience in the face of hybrid challenges     22 We fully support UNSCR 2166 concerning the downing of civilian ight MH-17 and call on the Russian Federation to accept its responsibility and to fully cooperate with all e orts to establish truth justice and accountability   23 Assurance measures continue to provide the fundamental baseline requirement for assurance and deterrence   In addition tailored assurance measures for Turkey to respond to the growing security challenges from the south contribute to the security of the Alliance as a whole and will be fully implemented   We have increased the strength of the NATO Response Force and the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force VJTF is ready to deploy on short notice   24 We have established a forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance which is now operational and its full implementation will continue     25 As part of this in line with our decision at Warsaw the enhanced Forward Presence of four multinational combat-ready battalion-sized battlegroups in Estonia Latvia Lithuania and Poland includes altogether over 4 500 troops from across the Alliance able to operate alongside national home defence forces   The Multinational Division North East Headquarters has been established and will achieve full capability by December 2018   26 We have also developed tailored Forward Presence in the Black Sea region   In Romania a multinational framework brigade for training Allies’ land forces is now in place and work is underway to further develop the brigade’s capacity to contribute to the Alliance’s strengthened deterrence and defence posture   A number of air and maritime measures in the Black Sea region have led to a substantial increase in NATO’s presence and maritime activity in the Black Sea   We welcome progress towards the full implementation of the agreed measures and particularly in the maritime domain while noting that further work is required     27 We are determined to complete including through the full capability of the Regional Hub for the South the additional work required to implement all elements of our Framework for the South namely the ability to anticipate and respond to crises emanating from the south improved capabilities for expeditionary operations and enhancing NATO’s ability to project stability through regional partnerships and capacity building e orts   These e orts include advance planning and conducting more exercises with scenarios re ecting the strategic environment in the south   In this vein we are committed to NATO’s cooperation with selected partners requesting our support by enhancing our ability to provide training advising and mentoring activities   National forces and headquarters will be o ered by Allies to conduct and coordinate these activities   This will consolidate NATO’s contribution to the international community’s e orts to project stability beyond our borders     28 As part of a broader approach and the concerted e orts of the international community we will continue to deter and defend against non-state actors that have state-like aspirations capabilities and resources and that threaten or a ect the security of Allied populations and the integrity of Allied territory     29 We have also taken far-reaching decisions to adapt and strengthen the NATO Command Structure the military backbone of the Alliance   It will enable our Supreme Commanders to command and control forces to deal with any military challenge or security threat at any time from any direction including large-scale operations for collective defence as well as ensure adequate transformation and preparation for the future in particular through capability development education and training   We will establish a Cyberspace Operations Centre in Belgium to provide situational awareness and coordination of NATO operational activity within cyberspace a Joint Force Command Norfolk headquarters in the United States to focus on protecting the transatlantic lines of communication and a Joint Support and Enabling Command in Germany to ensure freedom of operation and sustainment in the rear area in support of the rapid movement of troops and equipment into across and from Europe   We look forward to establishing the two multi-corps capable Land Component Commands as soon as possible   The adapted NATO Command Structure enhances and strengthens the relationship to the NATO Force Structure headquarters and national headquarters and this also improves the Alliance’s regional understanding   We have agreed an implementation plan and we will substantially increase our military personnel contribution to set up the adapted NATO Command Structure   30 Allied contributions to command and control through the NATO Force Structure remain essential   We note o ers by Romania to develop land command and control capacity at corps-level on its territory to contribute to reinforcement planning in the region as well as by Denmark Estonia and Latvia to further strengthen the command and control in the Baltic region through the establishment of a complementary Multinational Divisional Headquarters   We note the Italian o er on a rotational basis of a Divisional Headquarters in support of activities envisaged by the enhanced Framework for the South   31 Our ability to meet the challenges of a changing security environment is underpinned by an array of robust sophisticated and evolving capabilities across all domains including heavier more high-end fully-supported and deployable sustainable and interoperable forces and capabilities that are held at high readiness to perform the whole range of Alliance tasks and missions   We will ensure the availability of these forces and capabilities through the full and timely implementation of the requirements identi ed by NATO   In delivering these capabilities we are committed to Alliance and multinational cooperation to address our shared needs necessary increases in defence spending including on research and development maximising the e ective use of resources increasing our interoperability and working to address as appropriate existing dependencies on Russian-sourced legacy military equipment through national e orts and multinational cooperation   We will continue to foster innovation to maintain our technological edge   32 We welcome the many concrete multinational bilateral and national initiatives which contribute to our strengthened posture   By signing Letters of Intent and Memoranda of Understanding for multinational and bilateral cooperation in capability domains Allies also demonstrate in concrete terms their intent to contribute to fair burden sharing   33 The greatest responsibility of the Alliance is to protect and defend our territory and our populations against attack as set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty   No one should doubt NATO's resolve if the security of any of its members were to be threatened   Faced with a highly diverse complex and demanding international security environment NATO is determined to maintain the full range of capabilities necessary to deter and defend against any threat to the safety and security of our populations wherever it should arise   34 As a means to prevent con ict and war credible deterrence and defence is essential and will continue to be based on an appropriate mix of nuclear conventional and missile defence capabilities   A robust deterrence and defence posture strengthens Alliance cohesion and provides an essential political and military transatlantic link through an equitable and sustainable distribution of roles responsibilities and burdens   NATO continues to adapt in order to ensure that its deterrence and defence posture remains credible coherent resilient and adaptable to a changing security environment   This includes an e ective response to changes in the posture and doctrine of potential adversaries and their signi cant investments to modernise and expand capabilities   35 Allies’ goal is to continue to bolster deterrence as a core element of our collective defence and to contribute to the indivisible security of the Alliance   Following changes in the security environment NATO has taken steps to ensure its nuclear deterrent capabilities remain safe secure and e ective   As long as nuclear weapons exist NATO will remain a nuclear alliance   The strategic forces of the Alliance particularly those of the United States are the supreme guarantee of the security of Allies   The independent strategic nuclear forces of the United Kingdom and France have a deterrent role of their own and contribute signi cantly to the overall security of the Alliance   These Allies’ separate centres of decision-making contribute to deterrence by complicating the calculations of potential adversaries   NATO's nuclear deterrence posture also relies on United States' nuclear weapons forward-deployed in Europe and the capabilities and infrastructure provided by Allies concerned   National contributions of dual-capable aircraft to NATO's nuclear deterrence mission remain central to this e ort   Supporting contributions by Allies concerned to ensure the broadest possible participation in the agreed nuclear burden-sharing arrangements further enhance this mission   Allies concerned will continue to take steps to ensure sustained leadership focus and institutional excellence for the nuclear deterrence mission coherence between conventional and nuclear components of NATO’s deterrence and defence posture and e ective strategic communications   36 The fundamental purpose of NATO's nuclear capability is to preserve peace prevent coercion and deter aggression   Given the deteriorating security environment in Europe a credible and united nuclear Alliance is essential   Nuclear weapons are unique The circumstances in which NATO might have to use nuclear weapons are extremely remote   NATO reiterates that any employment of nuclear weapons against NATO would fundamentally alter the nature of a con ict   If the fundamental security of any of its members were to be threatened however NATO has the capabilities and resolve to impose costs on an adversary that would be unacceptable and far outweigh the bene ts that any adversary could hope to achieve   37 Missile defence can complement the role of nuclear weapons in deterrence it cannot substitute for them   At the 2010 Lisbon Summit we agreed to develop a NATO Ballistic Missile Defence BMD capability to pursue our core task of collective defence and to provide full coverage and protection for all NATO European populations territory and forces against the increasing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles   NATO BMD is purely defensive   It is based on aims and political principles that have not changed since 2010 including reasonable challenge a ordability technical feasibility and the latest common threat assessment   Should international e orts reduce the threats posed by ballistic missile proliferation NATO missile defence can and will adapt accordingly   Full Allied political control and oversight are essential and full implementation will be ensured and monitored   38 NATO BMD is based on voluntary national contributions mainly US European Phased Adaptive Approach assets in Romania Turkey Spain and Poland   Additional voluntary national contributions will provide robustness   39 NATO BMD Initial Operational Capability was declared in 2016 and the next major milestone is the completion of the core element of the NATO BMD Command and Control the only component eligible for common funding   We continue to look for opportunities to quickly and e ectively improve delivery of NATO’s BMD Command and Control overall completion of which is necessary to reach system maturity and Full Operational Capability   40 We will continue to engage with third states on a case-by-case basis to enhance transparency build mutual con dence and increase ballistic missile defence e ectiveness     41 NATO BMD is not directed against Russia and will not undermine Russia’s strategic deterrence   NATO BMD is intended to defend against potential threats emanating from outside the Euro-Atlantic area   We have explained to Russia many times that the BMD system is not capable against Russia’s strategic nuclear deterrent and there is no intention to redesign this system to have such a capability in the future   Hence Russian statements threatening to target Allies because of NATO BMD are unacceptable and counterproductive   Should Russia be ready to discuss BMD with NATO and subject to Alliance agreement NATO remains open to discussion   42 Arms control disarmament and non-proliferation have made and should continue to make an essential contribution to achieving the Alliance’s security objectives and for ensuring strategic stability and our collective security   NATO has a long track record of doing its part on disarmament and non-proliferation   After the end of the Cold War NATO dramatically reduced the number of nuclear weapons stationed in Europe and its reliance on nuclear weapons in NATO strategy   We regret that the conditions for achieving disarmament have not become more favourable since the 2016 Warsaw NATO Summit   Allies remain collectively determined to uphold existing disarmament arms control and non-proliferation agreements and commitments   Allies remain open to further arms control negotiations with the aim of improving the security of the Alliance taking into account the prevailing international security environment   We acknowledge the United States’ and Russia’s reductions in strategic nuclear weapons and applaud their meeting the central limits of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty New START as of 5 February 2018   The new START Treaty contributes to international stability and Allies express their strong support for its continued implementation and for early and active dialogue on ways to improve strategic stability   43 We remain deeply concerned by the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction WMD as well as their means of delivery and related materials by states and non-state actors which represents a growing threat to our populations territory and forces   Addressing this threat remains an urgent international priority   In recent years the international non-proliferation regime has been challenged in particular due to the use of chemical weapons in Syria by the Syrian regime and ISIS Da’esh intensive development of illicit programmes and political obstruction to the enforcement of nonproliferation norms   Continued use of chemical weapons in Syria as well as use in Iraq Malaysia and the United Kingdom which we condemn unreservedly underscore the evolving and increasing WMD threat to the Alliance   It underlines the importance of e ective multilateralism and international cooperation including through the Chemical Weapons Convention and the OPCW in addressing WMD threats   In that spirit we welcome the decision by the June 2018 OPCW Conference of States Parties in particular to ask the independent experts of the OPCW Technical Secretariat to put in place arrangements to identify the perpetrators of the use of chemical weapons in Syria   We demand that all perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks worldwide be held accountable and we call upon all countries to join the International Partnership Against the Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons   NATO will ensure that Allies can protect their populations forces and territories by deterring defending against responding to and mitigating the consequences of the full spectrum of the chemical biological radiological and nuclear threats including with trained and rapidly-deployable forces   44 Fifty years since the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons NPT opened for signature it remains the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation regime and has an essential role in the maintenance of international peace security and stability Allies are strongly committed to full implementation of the NPT in all its aspects including nuclear disarmament non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy   NATO's nuclear arrangements have always been fully consistent with the NPT   Consistent with the Statement by the North Atlantic Council of 20 September 2017 which we rea rm NATO does not support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that is at odds with the existing non-proliferation and disarmament architecture risks undermining the NPT is inconsistent with the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence policy and will not enhance any country’s security   This treaty will not change the legal obligations on our countries with respect to nuclear weapons   The Alliance rea rms its resolve to seek a safer world for all and to take further practical steps and e ective measures to create the conditions for further nuclear disarmament negotiations and the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons in full accordance with all provisions of the NPT including Article VI in an ever more e ective and veri able way that promotes international stability and is based on the principle of undiminished security for all   45 We call on all states to enhance e orts to e ectively combat the proliferation of WMD through the universalisation and full implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention the NPT and through the Proliferation Security Initiative the UNSC resolutions 1540 and 2325 and initiatives on nuclear disarmament veri cation   We call on all states to declare and to maintain a voluntary moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosion pending the potential entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty   We welcome the contribution that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission makes to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in particular through its work to establish the International Monitoring System and the International Data Centre   The Alliance welcomes the soon-to-be-published report adopted by the High-Level Fissile Material Cut-o Treaty Expert Preparatory Group and urges the immediate commencement of treaty negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament   In the meantime the Alliance calls on all states to declare and maintain moratoria on the production of ssile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices   46 The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces INF Treaty has been crucial to Euro-Atlantic security and we remain fully committed to the preservation of this landmark arms control treaty   Full compliance with the INF Treaty is essential   The United States is in compliance with its obligations under the INF Treaty and continues to provide substantial transparency on its programs while pursuing a diplomatic dialogue with Russia   At the same time Allies have identi ed a Russian missile system the 9M729 which raises serious concerns   After years of denials and obfuscation and despite Allies repeatedly raising their concerns the Russian Federation only recently acknowledged the existence of the missile system without providing the necessary transparency or explanation   A pattern of behaviour and information over many years has led to widespread doubts about Russian compliance   Allies believe that in the absence of any credible answer from Russia on this new missile the most plausible assessment would be that Russia is in violation of the Treaty   NATO urges Russia to address these concerns in a substantial and transparent way and actively engage in a technical dialogue with the United States   Allies will continue their e orts to engage Russia on this issue in bilateral and multilateral formats   47 We remain committed to conventional arms control as a key element of Euro-Atlantic security   Russia’s ongoing selective implementation of the Vienna Document and Open Skies Treaty and its long-standing non-implementation of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty combined with its aggressive military posture have undermined our security   Allies call on Russia to return to full implementation and compliance with the letter and spirit of all of its commitments which is essential to rebuild military transparency and increase predictability in the Euro-Atlantic region   Allies are determined to preserve strengthen and modernise conventional arms control in Europe based on key principles and commitments including reciprocity transparency and host nation consent   Allies underscore the importance of modernising the Vienna Document maintaining and strengthening the Open Skies Treaty and actively supporting ongoing discussions at the OSCE including the Structured Dialogue on the current and future challenges and risks to security in the OSCE area   We call on Russia to engage constructively in these e orts in Vienna   48 We reiterate the Alliance’s full support to the goal of complete veri able and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula   We welcome the recent meetings and declarations between the leaders of the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea DPRK and between the leaders of the United States and the DPRK as a contribution towards reaching the nal fully veri ed denuclearisation of the DPRK in a peaceful manner   We strongly condemn the DPRK’s nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches in violation of numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions and call upon the DPRK to suspend such tests consistent with its commitment and international obligations   We also condemn the DPRK’s use of the VX nerve agent in an assassination in Malaysia   We call upon the DPRK to fully implement its international obligations to eliminate its nuclear chemical and biological warfare capabilities and ballistic missiles and abandon all related programmes to return to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons NPT and its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA to comply with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention BWC and to accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention CWC   We call on all nations to maintain decisive pressure on the DPRK including by fully implementing existing UN sanctions   We reiterate our full solidarity with our partners in the region -- Australia Japan New Zealand and the Republic of Korea -- with whom we have had multiple consultations on this issue   49 We are concerned by Iran’s intensi ed missile tests and the range and precision of its ballistic missiles and by Iran’s destabilising activities in the wider Middle East region   We call upon Iran to refrain from all activities which are inconsistent with UNSCR 2231 -- including all annexes   We are committed to permanently ensuring that Iran’s nuclear programme remains peaceful in line with its international obligations and commitments to never seek develop or acquire a nuclear weapon   We underscore the importance for Iran to continue to fully cooperate in a timely manner with the IAEA   We condemn all nancial support of terrorism including Iran’s support to a variety of armed non-state actors   We also call upon Iran to play a constructive role by contributing to e orts to counter terrorism and achieve political solutions reconciliation and peace in the region   Syria has a signi cant inventory of short range ballistic missiles whose range covers part of NATO’s territory and some of our partners’ territories   Syria has used these missiles extensively against its own population   We remain concerned that Turkey has been hit three times in the last four years by missiles launched from Syria   We continue to monitor and assess the ballistic missile threat from Syria The increasing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles in the vicinity of the southeast border of the Alliance has been and remains a driver in NATO’s development and deployment of a ballistic missile defence system which is con gured to counter threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area   50 Today the Alliance remains an essential source of stability in an increasingly unpredictable world   The Alliance’s long-standing e orts at ensuring security for its members and contributing to stability beyond its borders are related to its three essential core tasks and its 360-degree approach   Based on a broad and strengthened deterrence and defence posture the Alliance seeks to contribute to projecting stability and strengthening security outside its territory thereby contributing to Alliance security overall   We will continue to strengthen NATO’s role in this regard helping partners upon request to build stronger defence institutions improve good governance enhance their resilience provide for their own security and more e ectively contribute to the ght against terrorism   This investment in partners’ security contributes to our security   We including with partners where appropriate will continue to help manage challenges – before during and after con ict – where they a ect Alliance security in accordance with NATO policies and procedures and with consideration of political implications     51 NATO’s partnerships are and will continue to be essential to the way NATO works   The success of NATO’s partnerships is demonstrated by their strategic contribution to Alliance and international security   Through our structured partnerships and engagement with other international actors and organisations including the UN the EU the OSCE and the African Union AU we maintain a broad cooperative security network deepen political dialogue and foster practical cooperation   Partners have made and continue to make substantial contributions to Alliance operations missions and practical cooperation activities   We rea rm our commitment to expand political dialogue and practical cooperation with any nation that shares the Alliance’s values and interest in international peace and security and will further develop our partnerships so that they continue to meet the interests of both Allies and partners     52 The Alliance has developed mutually bene cial security cooperation with Finland and Sweden on a broad range of issues   We remain dedicated to further strengthening our cooperation including through close political consultations shared situational awareness and joint exercises in order to respond to common challenges in a timely and e ective manner   53 We rea rm our commitment to ensure long-term security and stability in Afghanistan   Our Resolute Support Mission is achieving success in training advising and assisting the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces   As the Afghan government continues to work towards peace and reconciliation we will continue our assistance by extending our nancial sustainment of the Afghan forces through 2024 and by pledging to ll sta ng shortfalls especially in priority areas   Regional actors have an important role to play in support of peace and stabilisation in Afghanistan and we call on them to cooperate more closely on ghting terrorism to improve the conditions for economic development to support the Afghan government’s peace and reconciliation e orts and to prevent any form of support to the insurgency   In this regard we encourage Pakistan Iran and Russia to contribute to regional stability by fully supporting an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process     54 We commend the Iraqi security forces and the Government of Iraq for their recent success against ISIS Da’esh and the restoration of sovereign control over all Iraqi territory   We are launching a non-combat training and capacity building mission in Iraq at the request of the Government of Iraq for additional support in its e orts to stabilise the country and ght terrorism in all its forms and manifestations   Building upon our current training activities NATO will advise relevant Iraqi o cials primarily in the Ministry of Defence and the O ce of the National Security Advisor and train and advise instructors at professional military education institutions to help Iraq develop its capacity to build more e ective national security structures and professional military education institutions   A professional and accountable security sector is key to the stability of the country and the wider region as well as our own security   The continued inclusivity of the Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi security institutions will remain of key importance   Without prejudice to NATO’s decision-making autonomy and in close concert with the overall framework of the e orts of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Da’esh the NATO mission will maintain a modest and scalable footprint and complement the ongoing and future e orts of the Coalition and other relevant international actors such as the UN and the EU as appropriate   The NATO mission in Iraq will rely primarily on Coalition enabler support within means and capabilities   We thank Australia Finland and Sweden for their early commitments as operational partners in this mission   NATO’s support to Iraq’s e orts will be founded on a basis of partnership and inclusivity and with full respect for the sovereignty independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Iraq   55 We have today endorsed a Package on the South which includes a range of political and practical cooperation initiatives towards a more strategic focused and coherent approach to the Middle East and North Africa a region facing a multitude of complex threats and challenges which in turn a ect our security   Within that overall strategic aim we are pursuing three main objectives to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence against threats emanating from the south to contribute to international crisis management e orts in the region and to help our regional partners build resilience against security threats including in the ght against terrorism   We are committed to building a stronger and more dynamic relationship with our Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative partners including to help them modernise their defence and security institutions   Today we declared Full Capability of our Regional Hub for the South in Naples   The Hub will contribute to our situational awareness and understanding of regional challenges threats and opportunities support the collection management and sharing of information coordinate NATO’s activities in the south and reach out to partners   Enhanced planning and exercises will help improve our ability to anticipate and respond to crises in the region   The NATO-ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait allows us to work more closely with partners in the Gulf region to enhance regional security and counter shared threats   We are also working to further develop our relations with the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council and look forward to strengthening our cooperation with the AU so we are better able to respond to common threats and challenges   56 We remain committed to our longstanding partnership with Jordan in the framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue   We look forward to building on the successful implementation of our Defence and Related Security Capacity Building DCB assistance to Jordan in such priority areas as cyber defence counter-improvised explosive devices and civil preparedness and crisis management   We are grateful to Jordan an enhanced opportunities partner for its valuable contributions to NATO-led operations and for hosting our DCB training activities for Iraq   57 Tunisia is another key partner in the framework of the Mediterranean Dialogue   We are committed to further developing our cooperation with Tunisia   We have today approved new DCB assistance measures designed to help the Tunisian authorities to further develop their defence capacities in response to their request   Our support will complement existing international e orts and will include cyber defence counter-improvised explosive devices and the promotion of transparency in resource management   This DCB package will be implemented mainly through education and training activities and the exchange of expertise and best practices in line with NATO standards   58 We support a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process aimed at promoting national political reconciliation and strengthening state institutions   In line with the statement made by the President of the UN Security Council on 6 June 2018 we welcome the commitment made by the Libyan parties to work constructively with the UN to hold inclusive secure and credible elections most recently at the 29 May 2018 Paris Conference   In accordance with our Wales and Warsaw Summit decisions we remain committed to providing advice to Libya in the area of defence and security institution building in response to the request by the Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord to assist the GNA to strengthen its security institutions   NATO’s support will take account of political and security conditions   Any assistance to Libya would be provided in full complementarity and in close coordination with other international e orts including those of the UN and the EU as appropriate   We also stand ready to develop a long-term partnership possibly leading to Libya’s membership in the Mediterranean Dialogue   59 The Western Balkans is a region of strategic importance as demonstrated by our long history of cooperation and operations in the region   We remain fully committed to the stability and security of the Western Balkans as well as to supporting the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of countries in the region   We will continue to work closely with the Western Balkans to maintain and promote regional and international peace and security   Democratic values rule of law domestic reforms and good neighbourly relations are vital for regional cooperation and for the Euro-Atlantic integration process and we welcome progress in this regard   We also welcome recent progress on border demarcation in the region   60 NATO’s presence in Kosovo mainly through the NATO-led Kosovo Force KFOR contributes to a safe and secure environment working in close cooperation with the Kosovo authorities and the EU   It also contributes to wider stability in the Western Balkans   Any changes to NATO’s force posture will remain conditions-based and not calendar-driven   We will continue to support the development of the security organisations in Kosovo through the NATO Advisory and Liaison Team within the current mandate   The implementation of the enhanced interaction with Kosovo is progressing well in terms of dialogue and practical cooperation   We welcome Kosovo’s aspirations to improve its ability to ensure safety and security for all its inhabitants as well as to contribute to security in the Western Balkans   61 Strengthening NATO-Serbia relations are of bene t to the Alliance to Serbia and to the whole region   We welcome the continued progress made in building the NATO-Serbia partnership and support further political dialogue and practical cooperation to this end   We reiterate the need for continued progress in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue which should lead towards a comprehensive normalisation of relations including in the form of a legally binding agreement   We encourage both parties to accelerate e orts to normalise relations and fully implement prior agreements   62 We rea rm our commitment to the Alliance’s Open Door Policy under Article 10 of the Washington Treaty which is one of the Alliance’s great successes   Montenegro’s accession last year and our invitation today to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia1 are a tangible demonstration of this commitment   Successive rounds of enlargement have enhanced our collective security and the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region   EuroAtlantic integration advances democratic values reform and respect for the rule of law   NATO’s door is open to all European democracies which share the values of our Alliance which are willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership which are in a position to further the principles of the Treaty and whose inclusion can contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area  Decisions on enlargement are for NATO itself no third party has a say in that process   We remain fully committed to the integration of those countries that aspire to join the Alliance judging each on its own merits  We encourage those partners who aspire to join the Alliance to continue to implement the necessary reforms and decisions to prepare for membership   We will continue to o er support to their e orts and look to them to take the steps necessary to advance their aspirations     63 At our 2008 Bucharest Summit we decided that NATO will extend an invitation to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to join the Alliance as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue has been reached within the framework of the UN   We welcome the historic agreement between Athens and Skopje on the solution of the name issue   In line with our policy we have decided to invite the government in Skopje to begin accession talks to join our Alliance   Full implementation of all prescribed internal procedures with respect to the agreement on the solution of the name issue is a condition for a successful conclusion of the accession process   We commend the government for signi cantly strengthening good neighbourly relations including the entry into force of the Treaty on Friendship Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria   We welcome the determined e orts by the new government over the past year and the substantial progress that has been achieved on a number of urgently needed reforms and encourage further e orts on reform before and after accession in order to enhance the country’s contribution to the Alliance   We also note continued e orts to build a functional multi-ethnic society based on full implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement and encourage further e orts in this area   We call upon all political leaders in the country to play a constructive role in these processes and in the speedy implementation of the agreement on a solution to the name issue   We appreciate Skopje’s steadfast support for NATO’s operations and missions and ongoing contributions to international security   64 We fully support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s NATO membership aspiration and are committed to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a stable and secure Bosnia and Herzegovina   We commend Bosnia and Herzegovina for its contributions to NATO-led operations and for its commitment to regional cooperation and security   We call upon the country’s leaders to work constructively and demonstrate political will for the bene t of all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina in pursuit of political economic and defence reforms   We look forward to the general elections in October to be held fully in line with international standards   We welcome the substantial progress in the registration of immovable defence property made by the state authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to meet the requirements set by NATO Foreign Ministers in Tallinn in April 2010 for submitting the rst Annual National Programme   Since then Bosnia and Herzegovina constitutional and state court decisions have made clear that all former Yugoslav defence properties in the country are property of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina   Therefore the registration of immovable defence property located in the entity of Republika Srpska should proceed without delay   We are committed to maintaining strong political dialogue with Bosnia and Herzegovina and o er our continued support to the implementation of the Defence Review and other reform e orts including through NATO HQ Sarajevo   We encourage the leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take full advantage of the breadth of NATO cooperative security tools   65 We reiterate the decision made at the 2008 Bucharest Summit that Georgia will become a member of the Alliance with MAP as an integral part of the process we rea rm all elements of that decision as well as subsequent decisions   We welcome the signi cant progress realised since 2008   We welcome the central role played by the NATO-Georgia Commission and the Annual National Programme over the past decade in deepening political dialogue and cooperation between NATO and Georgia   We recognise the signi cant progress on reforms which Georgia has made and must continue which are helping Georgia an aspirant country progress in its preparations towards membership and which strengthen Georgia’s defence and interoperability capabilities with the Alliance   Georgia’s relationship with the Alliance contains all the practical tools to prepare for eventual membership   We welcome the developing cooperation between NATO and Georgia an enhanced opportunities partner on Black Sea security and the considerable progress in implementing a number of initiatives under the umbrella of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package   We highly appreciate Georgia’s signi cant and steadfast contributions to the NATO Response Force and the Resolute Support mission   These e orts along with Georgia’s participation in EU-led operations demonstrate Georgia’s commitment and capability to contribute to Euro-Atlantic security   We stand ready to enhance further our support to Georgia including in the areas of counter-mobility training and exercises and secure communications and we look forward to the next NATO-Georgia exercise in 2019   66 An independent sovereign and stable Ukraine rmly committed to democracy and the rule of law is key for Euro-Atlantic security   We stand rm in our support for Ukraine’s right to decide its own future and foreign policy course free from outside interference   In light of Ukraine’s restated aspirations for NATO membership we stand by our decisions taken at the Bucharest Summit and subsequent Summits   The success of wide-ranging reforms including combatting corruption and promoting an inclusive electoral process based on democratic values respect for human rights minorities and the rule of law will be crucial in laying the groundwork for a prosperous and peaceful Ukraine rmly anchored among European democracies committed to common values   We welcome signi cant reform progress already made in particular with the recent adoption of the Law on the High anti-Corruption Court and the Law on National Security   At the same time we look forward to further progress in Ukraine’s e orts to overcome signi cant remaining challenges and ensure the full implementation and sustainability of ambitious but necessary reforms which should be fully in line with Ukraine’s international obligations and commitments   With regard to the Law on Education adopted by the Rada in September 2017 Allies urge Ukraine to fully implement the recommendations and conclusions of the Opinion of the Venice Commission   Ukraine should make full use of all instruments available to it under the NATO-Ukraine Commission NUC in particular the Annual National Programme to reach its objective of implementing NATO principles and standards   We remain committed to providing continued support to Ukraine’s reform agenda in the security and defence sector including through the Comprehensive Assistance Package so that Ukraine can better provide for its own security   We welcome the developing cooperation between NATO and Ukraine on Black Sea security   We will also support Ukraine’s e orts to strengthen its resilience against hybrid threats including through intensifying activities under the NATO-Ukraine Platform on Countering Hybrid Warfare   We highly value Ukraine’s signi cant contributions to Allied operations the NATO Response Force and NATO exercises and welcome the contribution made by the NATO-Ukraine partnership to providing security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond Those contributions increase the level of interoperability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with NATO   We acknowledge Ukraine’s interest in the enhanced opportunities within the Partnership Interoperability Initiative   NATO will consider this in view of the decisions taken at the Wales and the Warsaw Summits   We will continue to work with Ukraine a longstanding partner of the Alliance based on the principles and values enshrined in the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between NATO and Ukraine   67 We continue to support the right of all our partners to make independent and sovereign choices on foreign and security policy free from external pressure and coercion   We remain committed in our support for the territorial integrity independence and sovereignty of Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia and the Republic of Moldova   In this context we continue to support e orts towards a peaceful settlement of the con icts in the South Caucasus as well as in the Republic of Moldova based upon these principles and the norms of international law the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act   We urge all parties to engage constructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful con ict resolution within the established negotiation frameworks   68 In light of NATO's operational experiences and the evolving complex security environment a comprehensive political civilian and military approach is essential in crisis management and cooperative security   Furthermore it contributes to the e ectiveness of our common security and defence without prejudice to Alliance collective defence commitments   In line with our Comprehensive Approach Action Plan we will continue to pursue coherence within NATO's own tools and strands of work concerted approaches with partner nations and organisations such as the UN the EU and the OSCE as well as further dialogue with non-governmental organisations   69 The European Union remains a unique and essential partner for NATO   The cooperation between NATO and the EU has substantially developed and is particularly important in the face of common security challenges in our shared eastern and southern neighbourhoods   We rea rm in their entirety all the decisions principles and commitments with regard to NATO and EU cooperation   We will continue to further strengthen our strategic partnership in a spirit of full mutual openness transparency complementarity and respect for the organisations’ di erent mandates decision-making autonomy and institutional integrity and as agreed by the two organisations   This cooperation will serve to enhance the security of our citizens and promote peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond   70 We have achieved tangible results in a range of areas including countering hybrid threats operational cooperation including maritime issues cyber security and defence defence capabilities defence industry and research exercises and defence and security capacity building   Political dialogue between NATO and EU remains essential to advance this cooperation   We also welcome the commitments of both organisations to improve military mobility   We will continue to develop and deepen our cooperation by fully implementing the common set of 74 proposals which contribute to the coherence and complementarity of our e orts   71 NATO recognises the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence   The development of coherent complementary and interoperable defence capabilities avoiding unnecessary duplication is key in our joint e orts to make the Euro-Atlantic area safer   Such e orts including recent developments will lead to a stronger NATO help enhance our common security contribute to transatlantic burden sharing help deliver needed capabilities and support an overall increase in defence spending   We welcome the call for further deepening of NATO-EU cooperation in the European Council Conclusions of June 2018   We note the EU is considering the conditions for like-minded third state participation in its new initiatives where appropriate and would encourage potential further steps in this regard   72 Non-EU Allies continue to make signi cant contributions to the EU's e orts to strengthen its capacities to address common security challenges   For the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU non-EU Allies' fullest involvement in these e orts is essential   We look forward to mutual steps representing tangible progress in this area to support a strengthened strategic partnership   73 We welcome the recent signature of the Brussels Joint Declaration by the NATO Secretary General the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission     74 NATO leads by example in upholding the principles of democracy and human rights doing so increases our operational e ectiveness   We continue to promote robust policies to advance the Women Peace and Security WPS agenda and in the areas of Children and Armed Con ict and Protection of Civilians   We remain committed to good governance of the defence sector and promoting transparent and accountable defence institutions under democratic control including through our Building Integrity Policy   In these areas we value civil society’s important role as a forum for dialogue advice and ideas as well as our cooperation with international organisations   75 NATO and its partners are committed to showing the leadership required to promote the full implementation of UNSCR 1325 and the subsequent WPS resolutions   Today we have endorsed our renewed WPS policy and action plan which are integral to NATO’s three core tasks   Gender mainstreaming and increased representation of women in NATO civilian and military structures and in Allied and partner forces improve our e ectiveness and contribute to a more modern agile ready and responsive Alliance   76 NATO’s robust framework for the protection of children in armed con ict directs troops deployed in NATO-led operations and missions to strengthen the implementation of UNSCR 1612 and other relevant resolutions   The Alliance will continue to update its policy and broaden its operationalisation taking into account best practices of the Resolute Support Mission   77 NATO and partners are committed to ensuring that all e orts are made to avoid minimise and mitigate the negative e ects on civilians arising from NATO and NATO-led military operations and missions as underscored in our new military concept for the Protection of Civilians     78 Energy security plays an important role in our common security   A stable and reliable energy supply the diversi cation of routes suppliers and energy resources and the interconnectivity of energy networks are of critical importance and increase our resilience against political and economic pressure   While these issues are primarily the responsibility of national authorities energy developments can have signi cant political and security implications for Allies and also a ect our partners   Consequently we will continue regular Allied consultations on issues related to energy security   We believe it is essential to ensure that the members of the Alliance are not vulnerable to political or coercive manipulation of energy which constitutes a potential threat   Allies will therefore continue to seek diversi cation of their energy supplies in line with their needs and conditions   We will re ne NATO’s role in energy security in accordance with established principles and guidelines and continue to develop NATO’s capacity to support national authorities in protecting critical infrastructure including against malicious hybrid and cyber activity   We will continue to enhance our strategic awareness including through sharing intelligence and expanding our links with relevant international organisations such as the International Energy Agency the International Renewable Energy Agency and the European Union as appropriate   We will also further improve the energy e ciency of our military forces including through the use of sustainable energy sources when appropriate   79 NATO is an alliance that constantly modernises and adapts to new threats and challenges   Today we have taken important decisions to further adapt NATO to the more challenging security environment   We have agreed a new strengthened NATO Command Structure that meets the requirements of today and tomorrow   As part of our ongoing institutional adaptation we have also agreed a new model to deliver shared NATO capabilities faster   We also continue to improve our strategic communications   We are pleased to meet in NATO’s new headquarters building and are grateful for the hospitality extended to us by Belgium   We look forward to the Secretary General’s Functional Review of the Headquarters to ensure it has the structures expertise e ectiveness and e ciency to be even more responsive and adaptable to changing circumstances   All the decisions we have taken today demonstrate our unity solidarity and strength   We have decided to meet again next year to review progress and to mark the 70th anniversary of our enduring Alliance   1 Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name