NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged on Tuesday that there is “concern” among the Atlantic Alliance’s foreign ministers about the situation in the Middle East. But at a time when Israel and Hamas are taking a ‘pause’ in clashes, Stoltenberg hopes for a further extension of the period of calm.

“I welcome the extension of the pause in hostilities between Israel and Hamas. This has enabled much-needed aid for the people of Gaza, the release of more hostages and the delivery of more humanitarian assistance,” Stoltenberg said.

“I hope that it will be possible to extend this pause even further,” stressed the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, realizing that “the ministers [dos Negócios Estrangeiros] They also expressed concern about the war in the Middle East.”

Before the meeting, Minister João Gomes Cravinho revealed in statements to Portuguese correspondents in Brussels that “six citizens of Portuguese nationality” are still being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. with the government in contact with entities on the ground, “so they can be released.”

“We have already pointed this out to the Red Cross, [e] Also for the entities, both from Israel and Egypt, Qatar also knows, we are working to release them and all others,” the minister said, hoping that the withdrawal of these six Portuguese from Gaza will be successful.

Gomes Cravinho also emphasized the idea that it will be necessary to prolong the pause in hostilities, recalling that this is also the clear expectation of “all Member States of the European Union”, that is, “that this situation, which is currently is temporary and we declare a ceasefire, – others prefer other terms such as ceasefire – that is extended”.

“I think it is more important than getting lost in semantic debates that conditions are created so that there are no more bombings, no more hostilities and a process of dialogue arises,” emphasized the minister, who spoke on the sidelines. the meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Support for Ukraine “will not waver”

At a meeting that served to refocus NATO’s attention on supporting Ukraine, Jens Stoltenberg highlighted the aid initiatives of several allies, noting that “in recent days we have seen new important announcements.”

“Germany promised 8 billion euros for next year and the Netherlands promised more than 2 billion euros; Romania opened an F 16 training center for Ukrainian pilots,” he illustrated, adding that “the allies, including the United States and Finland, are sending more aircraft for defense and ammunition, and twenty allies have created an air defense coalition for Ukraine.”

“All this helps save Ukrainian lives and sends a message to Russia that our support will not waver,” Jens Stoltenberg emphasized.

Challenges

Ministers also discussed what NATO Secretary General defines as the alliance’s “global challenges”. “NATO will remain a regional alliance in Europe and North America, but the challenges we face are global,” emphasizes Stoltenberg, convinced that NATO “must work more closely with partners, including in the Indo-Pacific, to defend its values ​​and its own interests”.

China was highlighted on the agenda in this topic. “China is not an adversary, and I welcome that fact. Allies engage with Beijing on issues of mutual interest. But at the same time, we must have a clear picture of the impact of China’s coercive policies on our security,” the government stressed. Secretary General of NATO.