Foreign Secretary meeting with the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

The Foreign Secretary met with the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this afternoon.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Ahead of next week's NATO Summit, it was important to welcome NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to London today, as we continue our close work together.

The Alliance has been the cornerstone of our collective security for over 75 years. Now, we must continue to strengthen NATO in the face of increasing threats. Just last week, I saw firsthand how NATO's strength protects Europe's Eastern Flank and the professionalism and commitment of UK forces working alongside our allies to deter Russian aggression and defend every inch of NATO territory.

That experience underlines a simple point: our security is only as strong as our collective resolve. That is why European and Canadian Allies have spent over £100bn more in the last year alone. We must continue to step up - strengthening our deterrence, reinforcing our alliances, and building a more European NATO.

That includes increasing defence investment. The UK has been clear about the need to go further, and we will continue working with Allies to ensure that NATO has the resources, capabilities and readiness it needs to keep our people safe.