Albares advances that the NATO Summit will host sessions focused on the threats posed by the southern flank

Ensures that Ceuta and Melilla do not need "winks" because they are territory of the Atlantic Alliance

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, announced this Wednesday that the NATO Summit, to be held in Madrid on June 29 and 30, will host two work sessions specifically focused on the threats posed by the south flank.

At a press conference, Albares pointed out that a work session will be held at the level of heads of state and government where "the southern neighborhood" will be addressed. In addition, the foreign ministers' dinner to be held on Wednesday will deal "specifically" with the issue of the southern flank, and for this the ministers of Jordan and Mauritania have been invited.

Along these lines, he pointed out that the document to be approved during the event, the Strategic Concept --the organization's 'road map' for the next decade-- involves a "look" at the southern flank, an issue that worries especially to Spain. In this context, he has remarked that the Atlantic Alliance "looks more and more towards the south". "To achieve true cooperative security, it is essential that NATO can respond to threats from the southern flank," he added.

The Foreign Minister has pointed out that NATO has previously recognized the "importance" of the southern flank and has stressed that this is not the first time that this issue is going to be addressed within the organization. "We are not the only ones" concerned about this front, he pointed out, referring to the rest of the countries of southern Europe.

Along these lines, it has made it clear that it is not intended that any country, alluding to Morocco or Algeria, feel "singled out". "NATO is defensive, not offensive, and therefore it is normal that it has projection in different scenarios", he has indicated.

On the other hand, he has assured that Ceuta and Melilla "do not need any wink" in the framework of the final document of the meeting and has recalled that the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, has already clarified that "every centimeter of the territories of allies is perfectly guaranteed by the solidarity of all NATO member states".

According to Albares, the Strategic Concept will also imply a "recognition" of hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks, irregular immigration or energy blackmail. Finally, he will also pick up the need to "intensify" the dialogue between the European Union (EU) and NATO, which is "absolutely fundamental". The objective is, ultimately, "to transfer an image of unity".

Executive sources have specified that the document that will be approved within the framework of the summit, which will have about 15 pages, will not treat the southern flank as a "military threat", but it will be classified as some type of "threat".

For her part, the Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, assured that Spain has been "capable" of conveying within NATO that the southern flank "is very important" and has alluded to the famine caused by the war in Ukraine in Somalia and the presence of Russia in certain countries of the Sahel, which is "contrasted". Likewise, she has also alluded to the expansion of jihadist terrorism on the continent and has stressed that Spain "insists" on "that look towards the south"

44 INTERNATIONAL DELEGATIONS

Albares has remarked that it is a "crucial" summit and has detailed that a total of 44 international delegations will attend, 41 of them headed at the level of heads of state and government. They will be accompanied by their defense and foreign ministers, as is customary at these summits.

They are the 30 members of NATO, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jordan, Mauritania, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Ukraine, in addition to the European leaders, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU countries that are not members. --Sweden, Finland, Austria, Malta, Cyprus and Ireland--. The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, will also attend. Between members of delegations and journalists, Albares has placed the total attendees at the event at around 5,000.

The head of the Foreign Ministry, who has transferred the work of the Government of Spain to prepare the meeting, has highlighted that, for the first time, a "Euro-Atlantic dinner" will be held in which all the member states of NATO and the of the EU that they are not. "The crisis in Ukraine has highlighted the complementarity of both in responding to security challenges and that will be evident at dinner," he explained.

In addition to the eastern flank and the look towards the southern flank, the Indo-Pacific partners, who have joined various NATO initiatives and the response to Russian aggression against Ukraine, will also play a prominent role in the event. According to Albares, this shows "the importance" that its global partners have for NATO, those who share the values ​​of democracy, plurality and the rule of law.

Robles, for his part, stressed that it is a "historic" event that involves "recognition" of Spain, a "serious, responsible and committed" country. "A new stage is going to begin that makes us all reflect (...) we have thought that security was guaranteed and it was not", highlighted the minister, who has ventured that the result of the summit will be "very positive".

The head of the Defense portfolio has also expressed that the appointment is the "best demonstration" so that the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, "knows that there is a commitment to work for peace, not to accept interference."

The summit intends that "allied leaders endorse" a new Strategic Concept that guides the transformation of NATO over the next decade." In total, 44 international delegations at the level of heads of state and government are expected to participate.