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| Exclusive: Nato chief says UK staying in the EU is key to fighting terrorism | Exclusive: Nato chief says UK staying in the EU is key to fighting terrorism |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Britain’s role at the heart of Europe is crucial in combatting terrorism and illegal mass migration, the head of Nato has said on the eve of the UK referendum on EU membership. | Britain’s role at the heart of Europe is crucial in combatting terrorism and illegal mass migration, the head of Nato has said on the eve of the UK referendum on EU membership. |
| In an interview with the Guardian at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general, also warned that a “fragmented Europe” would exacerbate “instability and unpredictability” in the region. | In an interview with the Guardian at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general, also warned that a “fragmented Europe” would exacerbate “instability and unpredictability” in the region. |
| “I don’t have a vote. It’s up to the people of Britain to decide,” Stoltenberg said. | “I don’t have a vote. It’s up to the people of Britain to decide,” Stoltenberg said. |
| Related: How the EU referendum result will emerge in the hours after polls close | |
| “What I can do is tell you what matters for Nato, and a strong UK in a strong Europe is good for the UK and it’s good for Nato, because we are faced with unprecedented security challenges, with terrorism, with instability and an unpredictable security environment, and a fragmented Europe will add to instability and unpredictability.” | “What I can do is tell you what matters for Nato, and a strong UK in a strong Europe is good for the UK and it’s good for Nato, because we are faced with unprecedented security challenges, with terrorism, with instability and an unpredictable security environment, and a fragmented Europe will add to instability and unpredictability.” |
| His intervention comes on the final frenetic day of campaigning ahead of Thursday’s vote. Senior politicians on both sides of the close-fought referendum battle are criss-crossing Britain in the final hours of campaigning, with the result of the historic vote still too close to call. | His intervention comes on the final frenetic day of campaigning ahead of Thursday’s vote. Senior politicians on both sides of the close-fought referendum battle are criss-crossing Britain in the final hours of campaigning, with the result of the historic vote still too close to call. |
| Stoltenberg said Britain acted as an important bridge between the EU and Nato and promoted the sharing of information on the terrorist threat. EU-Nato cooperation had been instrumental in curbing the mass movement of people across the Aegean Sea, he added. | Stoltenberg said Britain acted as an important bridge between the EU and Nato and promoted the sharing of information on the terrorist threat. EU-Nato cooperation had been instrumental in curbing the mass movement of people across the Aegean Sea, he added. |
| “To fight the terrorist threat we need both the EU and Nato and we need stronger cooperation between Nato and the European Union,” he said. “And the UK is pushing and showing leadership in pursuing that both from inside Nato and from inside EU. If our neighbourhoods are more stable we are more secure.” | “To fight the terrorist threat we need both the EU and Nato and we need stronger cooperation between Nato and the European Union,” he said. “And the UK is pushing and showing leadership in pursuing that both from inside Nato and from inside EU. If our neighbourhoods are more stable we are more secure.” |
| Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, pointed out that the Nordic country had opted not to join the EU in a 1994 referendum, and now had a much higher rate of immigration for its size than the UK. | Stoltenberg, a former prime minister of Norway, pointed out that the Nordic country had opted not to join the EU in a 1994 referendum, and now had a much higher rate of immigration for its size than the UK. |
| He said that cooperation between the EU and Nato was increasing on cyber defences and on blocking people-trafficking. | |
| “The UK is a kind of bridge between the EU and Nato and also a bridge between Europe and the United States. And this is important for UK, the US and for Nato,” he said. | “The UK is a kind of bridge between the EU and Nato and also a bridge between Europe and the United States. And this is important for UK, the US and for Nato,” he said. |
| Stoltenberg campaigned for his country to join the EU in 1994. Instead, Norway voted narrowly to stay out, but he said that while he respected the decision, he had not changed his mind on the advantages of EU membership. | |
| “The arrangement [Norway] now has with the European Union is that we pay a huge amount of money to the European Union. We implement EU decisions and directives, but we don’t have a say. We are not at the table,” Stoltenberg said. “Norway actually receives more migrants compared to its size than the United Kingdom … significantly more compared to the size. So even if you stay outside the European Union you are affected by decisions made inside Europe and so I think it’s better to be at the table influencing those decisions and those developments instead of being outside but being affected by decisions by the European Union.” | “The arrangement [Norway] now has with the European Union is that we pay a huge amount of money to the European Union. We implement EU decisions and directives, but we don’t have a say. We are not at the table,” Stoltenberg said. “Norway actually receives more migrants compared to its size than the United Kingdom … significantly more compared to the size. So even if you stay outside the European Union you are affected by decisions made inside Europe and so I think it’s better to be at the table influencing those decisions and those developments instead of being outside but being affected by decisions by the European Union.” |
| On the question of a prospect of a “European army”, in the shape of greater European military integration with a European command headquarters, Stoltenberg said any move towards more European resources being put into defence was to be welcomed, while duplication of structures was not. He said it was not clear how ambitious the EU foreign service’s plans for common defence would be, but added that UK was an important voice inside the EU helping to prevent any such duplication between the EU and Nato. | On the question of a prospect of a “European army”, in the shape of greater European military integration with a European command headquarters, Stoltenberg said any move towards more European resources being put into defence was to be welcomed, while duplication of structures was not. He said it was not clear how ambitious the EU foreign service’s plans for common defence would be, but added that UK was an important voice inside the EU helping to prevent any such duplication between the EU and Nato. |