"The picture is still a bit mixed but at least this is much better than it was just a few years ago. In 2014, it was three allies that met the two-per cent guideline. Now, it’s eight allies," Stoltenberg said at the NATO-Industry Forum in Berlin.
He noted that the majority of NATO members had credible plans to reach the 2-per cent defence spending goal within 10 years.
Russia, China Alliance's Main Challengers in Technological Development
NATO is mainly challenged by Russia and China when it comes to developing new technologies, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated.
"We also need to stay on top of the new wave of technology, like artificial intelligence, machine learning, future computing techniques, and big data. This is a great challenge, because we are challenged not only by Russia, but not least by China in this domain," Stoltenberg noted.
READ MORE: 'NATO Wasn't at the Table': Stoltenberg Says Europe Initiated Libya Intervention
The statements come amid the 2018 NATO-Industry Forum that started on November 12 and is set to conclude later on November 13. The forum aims to provide a platform for defence and security industry leaders to engage in a strategic dialogue on NATO capability planning and development.
This year’s forum is dedicated to Innovation and Emerging and Disruptive Technologies.
