Opening
Statement
by
NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson
at the Opening Session of the Meeting of the Council in Ministerial
Session
Ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to this meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign
Ministers Session. A special welcome to Prime Minister Berlusconi
of Italy, Minister Graham of Canada, Minister Martins da Cruz
of Portugal and Minister Galouzeau de Villepin of France who
are joining us for the first time in this setting.
We are meeting in a time of transformation. Conceptions of
security have been shattered. Traditional ways of doing business
no longer work. And to preserve our collective security, institutions
must transform as well.
Throughout the past decade, the Alliance has been at the forefront
of the rapid changes in Euro-Atlantic security. It broke down
the Cold War divisions of Europe, helping new democracies across
the continent, engaging with Russia and Ukraine, and taking
in a first wave of new members in 1999. In parallel, NATO brought
peace to the Balkans, ending the scourge of ethnic cleaning
in the process.
During this extraordinary decade NATO has transformed itself
and helped to shape Euro-Atlantic security immeasurably for
the better.
For NATO, it had been a decade of great success in meeting
and managing change. But September 11th showed us that we have
to do more.
The terrorist attacks on the United States were, first and
foremost, a terrible human tragedy. But they were also a wake-up
call. Security threats can no longer be measured in fleets of
warships, tanks or airplanes. Deadly attacks are no longer launched
only by governments. And they can strike utterly without warning.
It is the responsibility of Governments to preserve the security
of their citizens. That is the trust our populations bestow
on us. Neither they nor history will judge us at all kindly
if we do not take bold steps to protect them from these new
threats.
Since its foundation 53 years ago, NATO has been the core
of Euro-Atlantic security. That is as true today as ever. We
are engaged in a process of adaptation and transformation to
ensure that the Alliance is able to play its vital role in preserving
the safety of our populations into this new century.
The Alliance's Summit in Prague in November is the next major
stage in this transformation. Our meeting today will help set
the stage for this Summit.
First, we will guide and accelerate the development of new
military capabilities. In the face of new threats, our forces
must be better able to deter, pre-empt and defeat, attacks,
and sustain operations over distance and time. In the face of
today's threats, this means that they must be able to help protect
our populations, and themselves, against weapons of mass destruction.
I will ask you to give new impetus to these critical improvements.
We cannot afford to be too modest in our ambitions.
Second, we will move forward NATO's enlargement process. Our
commitment to maintaining an open door to new members remains
as strong as ever. Enlargement strengthens our Alliance. It
answers the legitimate aspirations of democratic nations. It
enhances stability by encouraging reform. And it broadens the
family of Euro-Atlantic countries.
At today's meeting, we will not discuss which countries should
be invited to join in this new round of enlargement. It is too
early for that. But we will elaborate how the enlargement process
should proceed, to ensure that aspirants are ready to assume
the responsibilities of NATO membership when they join the Alliance.
Actual invitations to begin accession talks will be issued by
our Heads of State and Government at Prague.
Finally, we will deepen and enhance NATO's partnerships. In
the wake of September 11th, it is more important than ever that
the Euro-Atlantic family of nations moves closer together. Democracies
from North America, Europe and through the Causasus to Central
Asia must cooperate closely and effectively if we are to tackle
the security threats now facing us all.
We will finalize work on the agreement between NATO and Russia
to create, in two weeks in Rome, a new Council, where NATO member
states and Russia can sit together, as 20 equals, to discuss
and decide on issues of common concern. This initiative is,
quite simply, historic. In its symbolism, the new level of practical
cooperation between the 19 NATO Allies and Russia illustrates
how far we have already come in putting the divisions of the
past behind us.
If the thinking that characterized the Cold War can be said
to have an ending, it will be in Rome on 28 May 2002. Together,
the countries that spent four decades glowering at each other
across a wall of hatred and fear now have the opportunity to
transform future Euro-Atlantic security for the better.
We will also deepen our practical and positive relations with
Ukraine. We will continue the adaptation of Partnership for
Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, to ensure they
meet the needs of all participants, NATO and non-NATO. We will
continue fine-tuning our presence in the Balkans, to help countries
now dependent on international assistance evolve into self-sufficient
members of the Euro-Atlantic family.
And last but most certainly not least, we will carry forward
NATO's growing relationship with the European Union, the strategic
partnership envisaged by EU leaders at Nice which has already
played a vital role in keeping peace in the Balkans.
Today's meeting is therefore a key stepping stone to the November
Prague Summit. The decisions we take here will help to ensure
that NATO continues to do what it has always done - bring together
North America and Europe to preserve the security of our populations,
and to lay the foundations for the safety of future generations.
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