NATO Secretary General meets US President
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen met with US President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, State Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and National Security Advisor General James L. Jones on Tuesday, 29 September. He had met separately the day before with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
The Secretary General and the President discussed extensively the way forward on Afghanistan, both agreeing that the NATO mission must and will remain united, and that while success can be achieved, it will require that we adjust and properly resource the implementation of our overall strategy.
On missile defence, the Secretary General and the President also shared the view that the new US approach has several advantages: it is open to the participation of all Allies, can cover all Allies, and is realistic in time-frame and technology. The Secretary General also believes that the new approach can bind all Allies even closer together in solidarity.
Finally, the President enquired about the development of NATO's new Strategic Concept, the initial steps of which are being led by Secretary Madeleine Albright, and expressed the US intention to participate fully in shaping NATO to be as relevant and effective in the 21st century as possible.