NATO admiral: Neutrality needs the international order
Published: Saturday, Dec 9th 2023, 03:00
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According to the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Swiss neutrality is dependent on the international security order. "All states must recognize a neutral country as such," said Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer in an interview.
Neutral status does not exempt a country from being able to defend itself. The modernization of the Swiss army is therefore important, said Bauer, Chairman of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Defence Alliance (NATO), in an interview with the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" on Saturday. Switzerland is thus making a contribution to protecting the current security order.
In order to maintain the security order, a state does not have to be a NATO ally. It can also be a partner. "The decisive factor is that we fight for a common cause," said Bauer.
Proximity to the war
In addition, the international population must understand how close the conflicts are. "When is war close enough?" asked Bauer. On the NATO border with Ukraine, there is a "real risk of spillover" from Russia, he said. This had been demonstrated in Romania and Poland. For Nato, however, it is about "keeping a cool head when tensions are high", said the admiral.
Bauer met with army chief Thomas Süssli and Defense Minister Viola Amherd in Bern at the beginning of the week. He discussed possibilities for closer security policy cooperation with Amherd, as the Federal Council announced on Monday. The meeting with Süssli focused on the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for Europe.
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