NATO members have reaffirmed their commitment to collective defense at a summit seeking to smooth over cracks in the trans-Atlantic military alliance.
After meeting near London, leaders of the 29 nations affirmed in a declaration that "our solemn commitment as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that an attack against one Ally shall be considered an attack against us all."
But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that "we stand together, all for one and one for all. Our commitment to article 5, the collective defense clause of our alliance, is ironclad."
The remarks came as part of the final declaration of this week's NATO 70th anniversary summit held in London.
The alliance said the summit was held "to celebrate seventy years of the strongest and most successful Alliance in history, and mark the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain."
The declaration said NATO "guarantees the security of our territory and our one billion citizens, our freedom, and the values we share, including democracy, individual liberty, human rights, and the rule of law."
The document also mentioned the ongoing debate over boosting defense investment, investing in new capabilities, and contributing more forces to NATO missions and operations.
