NATO To Change Strategic Concept Referring To Russia As Constructive Partner - White House

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2021) NATO will be updating its strategic concept after the Monday meeting and could change the reference to Russia as a "constructive partner," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

After this weekend's G7 summit in the UK's southwestern county of Cornwall, US President Joe Biden headed for Brussels where the NATO summit will be held on Monday.

"What we will see coming out of this is a commitment by leaders to a new Strategic Concept process that will result in the release of a new Strategic Concept at a NATO Summit next year, in 2022. The last Strategic Concept was done in 2010, and, among other things, referred to Russia as a 'constructive partner,' and really didn't talk about China at all. So it's time for an update to that Strategic Concept for NATO. And he [Biden] will consult with Allies and partners at the summit about this," Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, the White House issued a statement saying that NATO was going to modify its strategic policies regarding Russia and China, and would release a new Strategic Concept addressing threats to collective security, as well as transnational threats such as terrorism, cyber crime, and climate change.

The Monday NATO meeting in Brussels follows on the back of this weekend's G7 summit in the UK, which saw the leaders of the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada discuss issues such as the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and tackling climate change.

The so-called North Atlantic Treaty Organization 2030 strategic concept launched by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in December 2019 is set to be at the center of Monday's discussions.