NATO Foreign Ministers Hold Informal Meeting in Berlin

The 30 NATO member countries' foreign ministers are meeting in Berlin today. At the Federal Foreign Office, that means 30 motorcades, 30 flags, and a large conference table with 30 seats. This is not, however, an average ministerial meeting for a variety of reasons.

For the first time, Germany is hosting an informal NATO summit this weekend. The Ministers will meet in a small, intimate environment here. The goal is to have a more open, direct, and engaging dialogue rather than following a pre-structured curriculum.

This will be the first gathering of NATO Foreign Ministers in three years, as decided by Allies at their most recent summit in June 2021 as part of the NATO 2030 review process, which aims to make NATO fit for the future.

The negotiations in Berlin on Saturday have also been extended to Sweden and Finland. The two countries are about to decide whether or not to join NATO. Foreign Ministers Ann Linde of Sweden and Pekka Haavisto of Finland will brief their NATO counterparts on public opinion and the state of discussions in their respective countries about joining NATO. Germany has close ties with Sweden and Finland and would welcome and support their NATO accession should they apply for membership.

Naturally, the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting will centre on Russia's actions towards Ukraine. One component of these negotiations will be how Ukraine may receive additional assistance in defending itself against this invasion. In addition, the Foreign Ministers will debate the implications of Russia's aggressive behaviour for NATO's own security.

The NATO Strategic Concept will also be discussed at the NATO Foreign Ministers Informal Meeting. This notion is the Alliance's most important policy document after the North Atlantic Treaty. In June, during the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government in Madrid, the new Strategic Concept will be endorsed.

It covers a wide range of topics, including NATO's stance to countries like Russia and China, as well as deterrence and defence, as well as other security-related issues including cyberattacks, hybrid threats, and the link between climate change and security.