EU, NATO to Conduct Coordinated Hybrid Threats Drills in 2017-2018

The European Union and NATO will conduct coordinated drills of responses to hybrid threats, a joint EU-NATO declaration announced on Friday.

WARSAW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, the declaration was signed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker ahead of the opening ceremony of the Alliance's Warsaw Summit.

"In fulfilling the objectives above, we believe there is an urgent need to… step up our coordination on exercises, including on hybrid, by developing as the first step parallel and coordinated exercises for 2017 and 2018," the declaration reads.

The declaration stipulates that the parties will share intelligence and cooperate on strategic communication in a bid to enhance their capabilities to counter hybrid threats.

The NATO summit is taking place in Warsaw on July 8-9.