The Supreme Command emphasized in a statement that the change is aimed at better adaptation of NATO military structures to current threats and strengthening security in the northern region.
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Which countries will be included in NATO's new division of responsibilities?
Where is the new headquarters for Denmark, Sweden and Finland?
What does the change in the division of responsibility mean for the region's security?
Who approved the changes in NATO structures?
The decision means the transfer of Denmark, Sweden and Finland from the supervision of Allied Joint Force Command in Brunssum, the Netherlands.
Changes in NATO operational responsibility. “Strengthening the Euro-Atlantic area”
The Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, informed in the SHAPE announcement that in the situation of global rapprochement of NATO opponents it is necessary to strengthen the Euro-Atlantic area as much as possibleas well as strengthening in the Arctic.
He added that the integration of the Nordic countries within the command in Norfolk strengthens NATO's activities, especially after Sweden and Finland join the Alliance.
“Strategic Bridge”
After the change, the responsibility of the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk will include the following areas: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain and the Atlantic.
As Grynkewich emphasized, the command in Norfolk serves as a “strategic bridge” between North America and Europe, answering, among others, for the protection of sea lines of communication.
The change was approved by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's most important decision-making body, as part of the update of the Alliance's deterrence and defense plans.
