Secretary General thanks Belgium for its contribution as a reliable Ally

"Your soldiers and trainers in Kabul and Kunduz do an outstanding job.  Your jet fighters provide necessary air cover for ISAF troops in Kandahar, “ Mr Fogh Rasmusssen said.  “Their work makes a valuable contribution to our goal, to make sure that Afghan troops and police can take full charge of their country’s security by the end of 2014. And due to their courage and dedication, we are making steady progress." The NATO Secretary General also thanked Belgium for its commitment to Afghanistan after 2014.
 
Mr Fogh Rasmussen welcomed Belgium’s recent decision to deploy fighter jets on a new four-month air policing mission over Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia next September. This is the third time that Belgium is taking up such a mission as part of an Allied rotation.  The Secretary General stressed that overall, Belgium’s contributions are even more valuable as they are made in difficult economic times, when Allies have to spend more effectively together. He said that Belgium is playing an important role in multinational projects including NATO’s AWACS surveillance aircraft, and highlighted the country’s cooperation with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, calling it “Smart Defence in action.”
 
Mr Fogh Rasmussen thanked the Belgian Prime Minister for his country’s commitment to NATO and for its great hospitality for NATO’s Headquarters, present and future.