NATO

The stand of NATO on China gained further prominence as it came a day after the Group of Seven (G7) summit communique condemned Beijing and its policies around the world. The G7 scolded China on alleged violation of human rights against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, deteriorating ties with Hong Kong and Taiwan along with other economic policies of the country.

Regarding the NATO summit next week in Brussels, Macron, who said in 2019 that the trans-Atlantic alliance was experiencing "brain death", stressed that "the strategic capability autonomy of Europeans should be recognized".

"This summit will be a strong demonstration of trans-Atlantic unity of Europe and North America, because we are stronger and safer together in the more unpredictable world," dpa news agency quoted Stoltenberg as saying on Monday. Among the range of different challenges and threats to prepare for, Stoltenberg cited Russia, with its growing aggression toward its neighbours, and China as it invests in new military capabilities.

"We are of course ready, in an emergency, to protect and defend any ally against any kind of threat coming from Minsk and Moscow," dpa news agency quoted Stoltenberg as saying to the Welt am Sonntag newspaper. "We are vigilant and we are following what is happening in Belarus very closely," he said. Belarus is becoming "more and more dependent" on Russia, he added.

During the trilateral meeting, the foreign ministers of Romania, Poland, and Turkey presented the issues related to the security situation in the Eastern Neighborhood, as well as the preparation of the NATO Summit on June 14, 2021, were discussed, the Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday. The met was also attended by the foreign ministers of Georgia and Ukraine.