President Perestrello launches 2024 annual report, lays out 2025 agenda ahead of annual NATO PA meeting in Brussels

“2024 was a year of growing geopolitical competition and instability,” underlines Marcos Perestrello de Vasconcellos (Portugal), President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), in his video introduction to the 2024 Annual Presidential Report.  

“Russia stepped up its aggression against Ukraine, with increasing help from China, Iran and North Korea. Meanwhile, Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang intensified their campaign of subversion against our democracies. In this challenging environment, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has continued to advocate for strong national and collective defence.” 

The year 2024 was a defining year for the Alliance, shaped by NATO’s 75th anniversary, the accession of Sweden and continued adaptation to an evolving security landscape. The report highlights the Assembly’s important role rallying unwavering support for Ukraine, strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence and defending democracy, among others. 

Looking ahead, President Perestrello lays out an agenda for peace, security and democracy for the Assembly’s 70th anniversary year: “Our peace, security and democracy are under attack. Now is the time to step up. Together. United and resolute.” 

• “We must rally our citizens around an agenda for peace, security and democracy, with NATO as the cornerstone and guarantor of our collective defence and democratic values.


• We must bolster our transatlantic bond and strengthen Europe’s contribution to transatlantic security and industrial capacity.  


• We must increase our support for Ukraine, because if we allow the Russian aggression to succeed, we risk catastrophic consequences around the world.  


• And we must face up to the threat that autocracies pose to our democracies by establishing a Centre for Democratic Resilience at NATO Headquarters – as we have recommended for years – also by engaging more actively with major democracies around the world.” 

The President launched the annual report just days ahead of the Assembly’s annual Joint Committee Meetings in Brussels, which will include a joint session with the North Atlantic Council. Some 150 lawmakers from NATO nations will participate in the discussions with NATO, EU and Belgian top officials.