France receives the NATO Resources Conference


For the first time since 1966, France hosts the NATO Resource Conference, which brings together all Alliance financiers every 18 months. It takes place only three months after the Brussels summit of 2018. According to the will expressed by the President of the French Republic, this 9th edition will revolve around the theme of "financing a coherent and credible Alliance". The Alliance countries will therefore be invited to exchange freely on the subject on 16 and 17 October at the Military School.


France receives the NATO Resources Conference
(Picture source: NATO)


This conference will address Alliance funding with a focus on NATO's political, military and institutional adaptation. Several strong messages will be delivered by the Defense Minister, Mrs. Florence Parly, during her speech on Tuesday, October 16th, the only event of the conference open to the public since the rest of the exchanges will remain confidential.

France assumes its responsibilities in all areas:
• First of all, from a financial point of view since France has invested in its forces with the objective of achieving a 20% defense expenditure and has committed to respect the "2%" of GDP in the military programming law 2019-2025.
• On the other hand, from the point of view of capability, since it is one of the few powers to have a complete and credible defense tool over the entire spectrum of intensity.
• Finally, from an operational point of view, France devotes the Alliance's second largest budget to external operations (Opex) after the United States. It is fully involved in NATO's insurance measures. It carries out the mission of Police of the sky in Lithuania and will return to Estonia next year. It is also involved in the Sea Guardian maritime security operation.

A founding member and third largest contributor to NATO, France, like its allies, is pursuing its efforts to build the credible, united, modern, and effective Alliance that is needed to deal with the instability of our strategic environment.