NATO Secretary General: Alliance will expand to the east

NATO will increase its presence in Eastern Europe.

The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag on March 30, that the expansion process would continue, Deutsche Welle reports.

“The accession of Eastern European countries to NATO was one of the greatest success stories of our time. But the task is not yet complete,” he said.

Rasmussen noted every European state able to observe the alliance's main principles and ready to contribute to ensuring security in its zone of influence can apply for the membership in NATO.

NATO's Secretary General emphasised the partner relations with Ukraine would be strengthened. Rasmussen called Russia's actions in Crimea a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, which undermined the rule of international law.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO planned to increase its presence in the alliance's member states in Eastern Europe. The NATO chief spoke in favour of a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.