NATO Secretary General addresses protection of critical undersea infrastructure with EU Defence Ministers

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has participated in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union with EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on 14 November 2023 to discuss the protection of critical undersea infrastructure. 

The Secretary General stressed that the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines last year and the recent damage to the Balticconnector pipeline and cables show that infrastructure is vulnerable, and that threats are real and developing.

Since these incidents, NATO has stepped up air and naval patrols and increased presence in the Baltic and North Seas. At the Vilnius Summit in July, Allies agreed to establish a new centre on critical undersea infrastructure at NATO’s Maritime Command in the United Kingdom. NATO and the European Union have also established a task force on the resilience of critical infrastructure. “Critical infrastructure is important, and it's an area where we once again see the relevance and importance of cooperation between the NATO and the European Union,” said the Secretary General.