The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit kicks off today in the Spanish capital Madrid amid strict security measures.
The Spanish authorities have taken strict security measures in the capital Madrid, where thousands of soldiers have been sent, as well as several helicopters to monitor the security situation from the air.
The summit, which will be attended by NATO leaders, will last until June 30.
Commenting on the security measures, the Spanish army confirmed, according to General Francisco Braco, that the tightening of airspace controls will not affect commercial flights.
In a press statement, he clarified that the scheduled flights would not pose a threat and therefore the airspace would remain open, noting that the threat could come from invading airspace without a prior flight plan.
And Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that NATO in the new strategic concept of the alliance will call China a “systemic challenge”, and also point out the issue of strengthening cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
“NATO intends to present China as a systemic challenge, as well as highlight Beijing’s deep cooperation with Russia,” the agency said in a statement.
The document is expected to outline concerns about China in areas such as cybersecurity, disinformation, control of critical infrastructure and international order.
The agency also believes that the previous version of the concept, which was adopted in 2010 for NATO, did not contain references or warnings to China, since Russia was previously described as a partner in the alliance.
Earlier it was reported that NATO leaders will agree in Madrid on an updated strategic concept of the alliance for the period up to 2030.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the leaders of the alliance countries in the new concept will characterize Russia as the main threat to collective security.
Source: agencies