Public opening remarks

Ministers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our meeting today is an important stepping-stone towards the NATO Summit in Wales.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally changed the security landscape.  And it has challenged our vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace.

At the same time, other challenges remain.  Some of them new, like cyber and missile attacks.  Others we have faced before, like terrorism, piracy and fragile states. So the decisions we take at our Wales summit will keep NATO ready for any challenge, wherever it may arise. 

Today, we will review the measures we have taken to strengthen our collective defence. We will discuss our support measures to Ukraine and other partners. And we will discuss how to make our partnerships even stronger and more effective in promoting stability.

Over the past two decades, NATO has developed an unrivalled network of partners around the world. Many have made major contributions to our most challenging operations.  As we prepare to complete ISAF, we must maintain what we learnt together with our partners and build on our success.

Today we will discuss two key initiatives. To enhance our engagement with the most active partners, in consultations, training and operations. And to help those who ask for our assistance as they build up and reform their own security forces and institutions. Both initiatives are key so that we can continue to project stability in an increasingly unpredictable world.    

This concludes the public part of our meeting.  Let me thank the members of the media who have joined us at the start of this session.