(L-R) Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Prime Minister; Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General; Credit: NATO

On Thursday 27 April 2023, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the organisation's headquarters in Brussels.

On the agenda was the preparation of the next NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania as well as the war in Ukraine.

During this meeting, Prime Minister Bettel recalled that Luxembourg is supporting Ukraine in its right of self-defence and for as long as necessary. He also highlighted that Luxembourg has welcomed some 5,000 Ukrainian refugees on its territory and is supporting Ukraine consistently through military and humanitarian means.

Luxembourg's Ministry of State noted in a press release that Luxembourg has more than doubled its defence effort since the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014 and is expected remain on this trajectory for years to come. Secretary General Stoltenberg expressed his appreciation for Luxembourg's efforts, in particular by providing the allies with capabilities in the fields of satellite communication and cyber.

Prime Minister Bettel also highlighted the recent deployment of 27 soldiers as part of NATO's "enhanced Vigilance Activities" (eVA) in Romania to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank, in addition to the six soldiers detached to Lithuania as part of the "Enhanced Forward Presence" (EFP).

The Secretary General and the Prime Minister agreed that maintaining unity and solidarity was NATO's greatest strength in these turbulent times.

The meeting was followed by a press briefing.