Biden reaffirms 'strong' US support for NATO in meeting with chief

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Joe Biden reaffirmed the US's "strong" support for NATO on Monday during a meeting with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Biden emphasized "the importance of bolstering deterrence and defense against strategic competitors and transnational threats," the White House said in a statement following the conclusion of the meeting.

"President Biden also conveyed our full support for the NATO agenda agreed by leaders in June, including ensuring the Alliance is fully equipped and resourced to address the modern threat environment, and developing a new Strategic Concept," it said.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also met with Stoltenberg, but the White House did not provide details of that discussion.

Stoltenberg also met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and spoke by telephone with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to his office. Blinken is currently on foreign travel to Paris.

"The NATO Secretary General said the Alliance continues to adapt to a more unpredictable world, where great power competition is rising, along with cyber threats, terrorism, and the security impact of climate change," NATO said in a statement.

Stoltenberg will next meet with lawmakers in Congress on Tuesday, and will participate in an event hosted by the Brookings Institute and Georgetown University.