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Full -Secretary Secretary General Mark Rutte holds a press conference ahead of this week’s Foreign Minister’s meeting in Brussels. Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP/TT
Turkey’s arrest by journalist Joakim Medin creates questions for this week’s Foreign Minister’s meeting in NATO.
But there will be no answers from the NATO line.
In mid -May, the NATO countries’ foreign ministers will gather in Antalya in Turkey – despite sharp criticism from many about developments in the country, after the arrest of both Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and Swedish journalist Joakim Medin.
However, Secretary General Mark Rutte slides away on the question of whether it is really appropriate to meet in Antalya.
– It’s an important meeting. It is important that it is informal and Turkey has offered to host, says Rutte quickly and briefly at his press conference ahead of this week’s Brussels meeting.
Quiet about customs
Equally, Rutte wants to talk about the commercial duties that NATO’s most powerful Member State is about to introduce most of the others.
– The Alliance (NATO) is fully focused on defending our territory and managing the threat from Russia. When it comes to economic politics and the introduction of customs, it is entirely up to the national governments, says Rutte.
Still, the relationship with the United States will be a hot issue in Brussels. When Defense Minister Pete Hegseth made his first visit to NATO during the Defense Minister’s meeting in February, it was given harsh message about how the United States really looked at the war in Ukraine.
Now the curiosity – and anxiety – is great for what Foreign Minister Marco Rubio should say when he makes his first visit.
Sweden and Turkey
Formally, above all, discussions await the continued support for Ukraine and how much the countries should put on their defense.
Sweden participates by Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M), who has already notified in advance that she will take up the arrest of Medin with her Turkish colleague Hakan Fidan.
In any case, the latter finds difficult to avoid the Swedish because Sweden and Turkey are sitting next to each other in the meeting.
The factual meeting in Brussels
NATO’s foreign ministers gather in Brussels on Thursday and Friday for their regular spring meeting.
The Thursday meeting consists of a work lunch from 12 o’clock, a meeting with colleagues from Australia, South Korea, New Zealand and Japan at 15.30 and a work date with Ukraine from 18.30.
The Friday section consists of a meeting where EU Foreign Chief Kaja is also called participating from 9 o’clock. A final press conference is held with Secretary General Mark Rutte 12.45.
Source: NATO
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