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NATO’s partnerships' policy plays an essential role in building Europe whole and free, and that is why its must be continued and strengthened, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Audronius Ažubalis said during the NATO foreign ministers’ dinner in Lisbon on 19 November. During the dinner, heads of diplomacy from NATO countries discussed changes in the Alliance’s partnerships with non-NATO countries and the dimensions of new partnerships strategy for the future.

The scheduled reform of NATO’s partnerships intends to unify tools of practical cooperation with all partners and to organize the cooperation more flexibly, taking into account security interests of the Alliance and its partners.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister stressed that in the face of global challenges it was important to cooperate with countries around the world to deal with arising common security interests, particularly for NATO missions and operations.

The Minister stressed the need more regular dialogue of such European NATO partners as Sweden and Finland.

Minister A.Ažubalis supported Turkey’s bid to more actively join the European Union’s defence cooperation, because out of all non-EU countries, Turkey is the most active participant of the EU’s operations and missions.

The Minister also noted that the partnership with Russia was important, but it should not take place at the expense of cooperation with Georgia and Ukraine.

Currently, NATO’s partnerships are comprised of the following formal structures: the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme, which bring together 50 countries, NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue with seven countries of the Mediterranean region, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) that includes 4 Persian Gulf countries, and partners around the world (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Korea) as NATO signed individual cooperation agreements with them.

NATO has signed Individual Cooperation Programmes with the governments of those countries, where NATO operations are carried out and missions are deployed. Besides, NATO-Russia Council, NATO-Ukraine Commission, and NATO-Georgia Commission cooperate on an individual basis.

On 19-20 November, Minister A.Ažubalis with the delegation led by President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė is taking part in the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government in Lisbon.