NATO chief calls for 'strong UK in strong Europe'

LONDON

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has emphasized on the importance of Britain remaining in the EU for the sake of continued cooperation in the global fight against terrorism.

In remarks made in an interview to the British paper The Guardian in Brussels Wednesday, Stoltenberg said that while it was up to the people of Britain to decide on the EU referendum, “What I can do is tell you what matters for NATO, and a strong U.K. in a strong Europe is good for the U.K. and it’s good for NATO.

“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.”

The NATO chief said there was a lot of cooperation between the EU and NATO in the fight against terrorism and people trafficking.

He said the U.K. was “pushing” and “showing” leadership in pursuing “strong cooperation”, both from inside NATO and the EU.

“The U.K. 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 U.K., the U.S. and for NATO,” he said.

The U.K. is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and one of the 28 members of the NATO alliance.

The country will vote on the EU membership on Thursday. Around 46 million British voters are registered to cast their votes in the referendum.