NATO Chief urges for protection of critical industries amid Covid 19

(VOVWORLD)- NATO defence ministers have reviewed the alliance's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed upon the next steps to take, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg held a virtual news conference in Brussels on Thursday after an online meeting of alliance defence ministers. 

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.

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