NATO hub for south 'fully operative'

(ANSA) - Brussels, July 11 - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared the alliance's new Hub for the South to be "fully operative" at the end of the first day of the NATO summit in Brussels. "It will help is to monitor and respond to the regional challenges in a more effective way," Stoltenberg said. He also said members had reiterated the commitment to have military spending of at least 2% of GDP and announced the reinforcement of NATO's fast response forces by 2020. Stonteltenberg also said that Macedonia has been invited to become NATO's 30th member.