NATO FMs agree to strengthen support for Georgia, Ukraine

NATO Foreign Ministers have agreed on a package of measures to improve the Alliance’s situational awareness in the Black Sea region and strengthen support for its partners – Georgia and Ukraine.

We agreed on a package of measures to improve our situational awareness and to step up our support for both Georgia and Ukraine in areas such as the training of maritime forces and coast guards, port visits and exercises and sharing information”, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

The NATO Secretary General believes "this will build on our already close cooperation".

The meeting of the North Atlantic Council of Foreign Ministers session was held in Washington DC on April 4. Photo: NATO press office

Stoltenberg spoke of the security situation in the Black Sea region at a press conference following the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers’ session in Washington DC. 

Right now, one of NATO’s naval groups is on patrol in the Black Sea and today, it is exercising with Ukrainian and Georgian ships”, Stoltenberg said.

So we will maintain our focus, and our presence in this vital region", he added.

Jens Stoltenberg is in Washington with foreign ministers from all 29 allied states to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Washington Treaty, NATO’s founding document, in 1949.

See full conference text here.