Secretary general: NATO to remain regional alliance

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that NATO will remain a regional bloc and does not intend to expand globally, beyond the European continent.

Stoltenberg made the remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in the US, according to TASS.

“NATO will remain a regional alliance, only European countries can join it. NATO will not be a global alliance upon Article 5 (collective defence obligations),” he said.

He emphasised that the security problem is global, not regional. That is why, NATO cooperates with many countries that are not NATO members, including Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

“This does not mean that they will become NATO members. This means that we work together,” Stoltenberg added.