Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. During their discussion, both leaders emphasized the strong and growing partnership between Israel and NATO.
Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his satisfaction with the existing excellent relations and cooperation between Israel and NATO.
“I’m very happy to see my old friend, and who’s now the deputy secretary general of NATO. We have excellent relations with NATO and excellent cooperation, and I look forward to increasing it even further. We have great opportunities for peace in our area, but we also have great challenges, principally from Iran and of course from other areas as well,” Netanyahu said. “Israel and NATO cooperate on both fronts, deterring, or removing the dangers and seizing the opportunities.”
He highlighted the significant opportunities for peace in the region, as well as the challenges posed by Iran and other sources. Netanyahu stressed that Israel and NATO work together to address these challenges, with a focus on deterrence, removing threats, and seizing opportunities.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Geoană conveyed his gratitude for the warm reception and spoke about the importance of strengthening the partnership between NATO and Israel. He acknowledged that both NATO and Israel share concerns about authoritarian regimes, such as Iran, North Korea, and Russia, which pose security challenges not only in Europe but also in the Middle East.
Geoană emphasized the desire to leverage Israel’s advanced technological capabilities and innovation. As the chair of innovation in NATO, he expressed his commitment to taking the partnership to the next level. He acknowledged Israel’s exceptional technological sophistication and looked forward to launching a new phase of the partnership in the coming weeks.
The meeting was attended by several key officials, including the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, the Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary, the Head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, and the Israeli Ambassador to the UN and NATO.
The meeting between Prime Minister Netanyahu and NATO Deputy Secretary General Geoană underscored the importance of the collaboration between Israel and NATO in addressing security challenges, advancing peace, and harnessing technological innovation for mutual benefit.