NATO enlisted in cyber security efforts

  • 2013-06-12
  • From wire reports

VILNIUS - The NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting on June 4 and 5, which was also attended by Lithuania’s Vice Minister of National Defense, focused on cyber security, NATO capabilities and the mission in Afghanistan, reports ELTA.
During the sessions Vice Minister of National Defense Marijus Velicka underlined the need to generate mechanisms for rendering NATO’s support and assistance in case of a cyber attack. “NATO is an alliance of collective defense based on solidarity. For that reason it is crucial that it wields practical instruments allowing prevention of cyber attacks and providing support to the countries under such attacks,” Velicka said.

It was decided to complete an in-depth analysis by this autumn into NATO’s possibilities of providing such support to the member states and to indicate specific measures.
The defense ministers also addressed capabilities and Smart Defense-related points. It was pointed out that significant shortfalls had been observed in some defense areas of the alliance; besides, the U.S. is still carrying an unequal burden in comparison to other member states.

In a discussion over multinational Smart Defense projects, Lithuania introduced a green defense-related document which had been prepared in collaboration with Denmark. The document includes specific proposals on enhancing energy efficiency and drawing various aspects of energy security into NATO’s agenda, exercises and capability planning. The ministers have agreed to use the document as a basis for further developing NATO’s role in energy security area.
Velicka also attended the meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission where stock has been taken of the defense reforms in the country. Lithuania expressed support to Georgia’s euro-Atlantic integration aspirations and encouraged to continue the reforms aimed at the existence of an impartial legal system in the country. The ministers thanked Georgia for its significant contribution to NATO’s operations and reiterated their commitment to continue the cooperation of NATO and Georgia.

The so-called Nordic Group also met in the margins of the ministerial meeting in Brussels (it includes the Baltic States and the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands and Germany). The Baltic States presented the activities of the Baltic Defense College (BALTDEFCOL) in Tartu, Estonia, where a discussion was held on the possibilities of closer involvement of partners (Sweden and Finland) into various NATO projects.