NATO’s political agenda in view of the Alliance’s July summit in Washington, increasing defence spending and the development of the defence industry in member states, support for Ukraine, the security situation and NATO’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa are the main topics of the annual meeting of the Joint Committees of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PAC) in Brussels. The session was chaired by the chairman of the NATO IG, Polish MP Michał Szczerba, and the Alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. 

Taking place from 19 to 21 February at NATO Headquarters, the meeting of the Political Committee, the Defence and Security Committee and the Economic and Security Committee, with the participation of the Presidencies of the Democracy and Security Committee and the Science and Technology Committee of the NATOGA, provides an opportunity to demonstrate the solidarity of the Allies in support of the country attacked by Russia and to call on the aggressor to end the war immediately on the eve of the second anniversary of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

A meeting between the heads of parliamentary delegations of member states and the North Atlantic Council also took place in Brussels as part of the joint meeting of the NATO IG committees. 

One of the main topics of the meeting with the North Atlantic Council was NATO members’ defence spending, in which Poland is a leader, as it allocates approx. 4 % of GDP. 

“Please follow Poland”, with these words the chairman of the NATO IG opened the session at the Alliance’s Headquarters. MEP Michał Szczerba appealed to NATO members to invest more in security and expand their defence industries. 

“This should also benefit our economies. We need to prepare NATO for the next generations. We must prepare the Alliance to be stronger than ever”, convinced Szczerba. He stressed that Article 5 is and will remain the foundation of our common security.

Adrian Andrzejewski