NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference during a NATO Defense Ministers Meeting at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

BRUSSELS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense ministers on Wednesday agreed to create a new regional hub to address threats from south, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference following the ministerial meeting.

Ministers discussed how NATO can ensure to project stability beyond its borders and to fight terrorism.

The hub, based at NATO's Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, is one part of the alliance's response to threats stemming from the Middle East and North Africa, the secretary general said.

Stoltenberg said: "This will be a focal point for increasing our understanding of the challenges stemming from the region and our ability to address them."

"We expect around 100 people will work at the hub, assessing potential threats and engaging with partner nations and organizations," he added.

During the meeting, NATO defense ministers also discussed NATO's joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability and agreed to develop a follow-on capability for NATO AWACS (airborne early warning and control system) planes after they retire around the year 2035.