Opening remarks
by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Joint Press Point with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, José Manuel García-Margallo
Minister, thank you very much. It is a great pleasure to be back in Madrid and to meet you again. I would like to thank you for your kind words.
We are discussing today the preparations for our Summit in Wales this September. Where we will strengthen our collective defence. Improve our ability to manage crises. Deepen our partnerships. And demonstrate the strength of the bond across the Atlantic.
We will also assess the implications of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine , which are long-term and far-reaching. We have taken immediate steps. And every single NATO Ally is playing its part. I appreciate very much that Spain has offered fighter aircraft and a number of ships to different maritime groups.
Because our security is interconnected. And NATO faces more than one crisis, or one challenge. We face an arc of crises from the East to the South. Including fragile states leading to instability, terrorism, piracy and migration flows.
NATO can help our partners in the region help themselves. By assisting them with the development of their own security sectors, as part of the broader international efforts. And I expect this to be an important theme at the Summit.
This year we will celebrate our partnership with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, and seek ways to reinforce it.
We have just extended NATO’s mission to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa and help build the capacity of regional navies, a mission currently led by Spain. In 2015 NATO’s biggest live exercise in many years will be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Italy, showing the strategic importance of this part of the Alliance.
And far beyond these shores, Spain continues to play a significant part in helping Afghan forces secure their own country.
So I thank you for your strong contribution, despite difficult economic times. This shows Spain’s commitment to our Alliance and the importance of continued investment in our shared security. I also find it important that we all meet our fair share of the security responsibilities. And I will encourage Spain to look into its defence spending once the economic situation in Spain improves. Because our security is the foundation for our prosperity.
I know that I can count on Spain’s support as we prepare for our Summit.