NATO confirms that the leaders' summit in Ankara will be held on July 7 and 8.

BRUSSELS, 19 (EUROPA PRESS)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced Tuesday that next year's NATO summit will be held on July 7 and 8 in Ankara, marking the second time Turkey has hosted the gathering of allied leaders.

In a statement, the organization confirmed the dates of the meeting as well as the venue, the Bestepe Presidential Complex, which houses the official residence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"I would like to thank Turkey for hosting this important meeting. Türkiye has been a solid NATO ally for more than 70 years, making invaluable contributions to our common security," Rutte said.

In this regard, he announced that the summit will focus on advancing a "stronger, fairer, and more lethal" alliance, prepared to respond to the critical challenges it faces.

Last June, Turkish authorities confirmed that the NATO leaders' summit would be held in the capital, after Istanbul hosted the 2004 summit, but the date remained to be finalized. The military organization typically announces its leaders' summits well in advance . In fact, it is already known that Albania will host the annual meeting in 2027.