Opening remarks
by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the working dinner of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Heads of State and Government
(As delivered)
Welcome to all of you.
This is the first meeting ever in this new headquarters. So actually, you are participating in a historic moment.
We face the most difficult security challenges for a generation. Terrorism and instability. A more assertive Russia. The proliferation of nuclear weapons. And the growing threat of cyber-attacks. The bond between NATO Allies has kept our people safe since the Alliance was founded almost seventy years ago. We are here today to strengthen that bond. We will take decisions to share more fairly the burden of our security. And to do more in the fight against terrorism. We are an alliance of democracies. Nations from both sides of the Atlantic. With different history, different geography, different culture. And at times also different political perspectives. And yet we rise above those differences. And unite around a common purpose: we protect each other, we stand together, we are NATO.
I will now invite Prime Minister Charles Michel to say a few words. Belgium has generously hosted our Alliance for 50 years. And has provided invaluable support for this meeting. So thank you, Charles, and now you have the floor, please.
[REMARKS BY THE BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER]
SECRETARY GENERAL:
Thank you so much Charles. And that ends the public part of this meeting, so may I then ask the media to leave. Thank you for your cooperation.