(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed Thursday that the alliance needs to keep up with rapid global security threats, confront them, and to boost alliance forces to make sure they are ready for any type of threat.
In a joint press conference with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, Stoltenberg said, after a closed meeting, that currently the main primary challenges are in the form of ISIL and developments in Ukraine, noting that recently Russia has become more aggressive.
Russia is still arming amid a ceasefire agreement, Stoltenberg said and called on all NATO parties to help monitor the withdrawal of troops.
"We cannot take our security for granted," he said. "Security is the basis of everything we have, our prosperity, our values, our open societies." Stoltenberg's comments come at a time when Nato is pushing all members to increase military funding.
The alliance's goal is that all members dedicate at least two percent of their GDP to defence spending.
Stoltenberg praised Spain for its role in Nato missions, including its "major role in building security in Afghanistan." He also mentioned that Spain will host one of the alliance's biggest exercises this year with an expected 25,000 troops.
For his part, Garcia-Margallo expressed his country's full commitment to Nato and its goals and charter, in addition to funding and international forces mission contribution.
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