2014 NATO Wales Summit

David Lidington Excerpts

Wednesday 6th July 2016 Written Statements

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

Today the Minister of State for Policing, Fire, Criminal Justice and Victims, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning), and I have put on www.gov.uk the costs of hosting the 2014 NATO Wales summit.

Summit Achievements

The 2014 NATO summit was a significant international event, which saw one of the largest gatherings of world leaders ever held in the UK. The summit achieved all major UK policy objectives with the UK playing a significant role in developing the summit conclusions and brokering agreement among allies.

The commitments agreed by all 28 NATO Heads of Government will contribute to our national security, strengthening NATO as the cornerstone of UK defence. Allies agreed to halt any decline in defence investment and aimed to attain 2% of GDP spend on defence within a decade. Allies also agreed on a new rapid reaction capability to enhance NATO’s ability to respond to any threat. New initiatives were also launched to modernise NATO and ensure the alliance is fit for purpose to counter 21st-century threats, including in the hybrid warfare and cyber areas.

The hard work and dedication of the police officers deployed during the substantial operation to secure the event, which was delivered under budget, ensured the safety and security of local residents and all delegates.

[HCWS59]