The defence ministers looked at the long-term implications of the coronavirus, as the geopolitical effects of the pandemic could be significant.

"Some may seek to use the economic downturn as an opening to invest in our critical industries and infrastructure, which in turn may affect our long-term security and our ability to deal with the next crisis when it comes," he said. It is still early to draw conclusions from these long-term discussions, Stoltenberg said, and discussions about them will continue. The defence ministers did agree, however, on a set of recommendations to strengthen the alliance's resilience. Alliance members will update existing baseline requirements for civil preparedness, based on their experiences from the crisis. They also pledged to work even closer with international partners, Stoltenberg said.