Transatlantic link "as strong as ever"

On 24 October, during a two-day trip to Lisbon, Portugal, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson met Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio, Prime Minister Antonio Guterres, Foreign Minister Jaime Gama and Defence Minister Rui Pena. The following day, he addressed a conference on the future of transatlantic relations jointly organised by the Luso-American Foundation for Development and the Portuguese Atlantic Committee.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the United States in September, Lord Robertson emphasised that "the fundamental link between two continents and among 19 nations is as strong as ever, if not stronger than before". He highlighted the importance of Allied solidarity, which was manifested in the NATO decision to invoke Article V and declare that the attack against the United States was an attack against all 19 members.