US president hosts dinner for NATO leaders

WASHIGNTON

US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted a dinner for NATO allies and partners at the White House on Wednesday evening.

"Jill and I are honored to have so many close allies and close friends all in the same room," Biden told the world leaders and their spouses, along with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Although the 32 allies do not share a common language or border, Biden said: "We’re neighbors, because we all share common beliefs."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the dinner with first lady Emine Erdogan.

NATO leaders gathered Tuesday in Washington, D.C. for a three-day summit to mark the military alliance's 75th anniversary.

The summit, which has addressed the challenges facing the alliance and seeks to further strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense, is also being attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the heads of delegation of NATO's partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

On Thursday, the leaders will attend a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which includes Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union, followed by a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

Stoltenberg said he expects the allies to make important decisions on enhancing support for Ukraine, strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense, and deepening partnerships with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.