Speech

by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Halifax International Security Forum

  • 17 Nov. 2017 -
  • |
  • Last updated: 18 Nov. 2017 08:27

(As delivered)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Halifax International Security Forum

Peter, thank you for that kind introduction.

Ministers,
Excellencies,
Dear friends,

NATO has always been a friend of the Halifax International Security Forum.

But after receiving the Halifax Builder Award, we are not just friends…
We have become big fans of this conference.
Thank you so much.
It is an honour to accept the Halifax Builder Award.
This is a great recognition for all those who have worked tirelessly for peace and security within the NATO Alliance.

***

The history of Halifax has been defined by the Atlantic Ocean.

And of course, the Atlantic Ocean is fundamental to the Atlantic Alliance.

And to me personally.
My father was born in Norway.
But my mother was born on this side of the Atlantic.
In Patterson, New Jersey.
Later, she studied at McGill University in Montreal.
And she lived here in Canada for several years.
So I was raised on a diet of pancakes, maple syrup and Neil Young.

But it’s not only me.
Canada holds a very special place in the hearts of all Norwegians.

After all, it was a Norseman, Leif Erikson, who was the first European to discover this continent almost a thousand years ago.
A fact that would be far more widely known had he not promptly left and decided not to tell anyone about it!

For intrepid explorers like Leif Erikson, the Atlantic Ocean was never a great blue barrier.
It was a bridge to new lands and new possibilities.
And in times of war, it has been a bridge to freedom, sanctuary, and hope.

The continents of Europe and North America are bound like no others.
Our paths are entwined by a shared history and common ancestry.
In good times, we enjoy each other’s company.
In bad times, we come to each other’s aid.

Our grandfathers and great grandfathers fought side-by-side during two world wars.
From Flanders Fields to the beaches of Normandy.
Defeating tyranny, and restoring peace and democracy.

Since those dark days, that bond has been embodied by the NATO Alliance.

As a young Norwegian growing up during the Cold War,
I slept soundly at night knowing that NATO – the good guys – were there to protect us.

We knew that Allies from both sides of the Atlantic would come if we needed them.
That is the essence of Article 5 of our founding treaty.
One for all and all for one.
It was that unity that deterred the Soviet Union.
That brought a peaceful end to the Cold War.
That enabled Europe – East and West – to integrate into a unified whole.
None of which would have been possible without our North American allies.

Long experience shows us that no country can go it alone.
A strong, safe and prosperous Europe, means a strong, safe and prosperous North America.
And vice versa.

There are no closer Allies, no closer friends, than Europe and North America.

And today, our transatlantic bond remains as important as it has ever been.
To deter Russia.
To combat global terror.
To stand up against those who threaten our world-order based on liberty, democracy and the rule of law.

And on both sides of the Atlantic, Allies are stepping up.

For many years, the US and Canada reduced their military presence in Europe.

The last US armoured brigade left Europe in 2013.

But now, the US and Canada are coming back.
In the past months, a new American armoured brigade arrived in Germany.
Alongside other reinforcements and equipment.

Canada has also made its largest European deployment since the Cold War.
Leading a NATO battlegroup in Latvia.

These are clear examples that the US and Canada are strengthening their contributions to European security.

European Allies are also stepping up:
Increasing the readiness of their forces.
Investing in new equipment.
And increasing their defence spending, after years of cuts.

In fact, their defence spending has accelerated three years in a row.

We also stand together in the fight against terrorism.
When terrorists struck at the heart of America on 9/11, NATO invoked Article 5 for the very first time.

In the years since, hundreds of thousands of European and North American soldiers have served side-by-side with our partners in Afghanistan.
Many, including Canadians, have paid the ultimate price.
And it is not only in Afghanistan that we fight terror.

We also stand shoulder-to-shoulder in Iraq and Syria to defeat ISIS.
We share intelligence to counter the threat of foreign fighters.
And we help our partners in the Middle East and North Africa to stabilise their own countries.

In the fight against terrorism, training local forces is one of the best weapons we have.

***

Ladies and gentlemen.
The bond between Europe and North America is the backbone of our mutual security.

It ensures our democracy, our prosperity and our free and open societies.
It has seen us through good times and bad.

It is a bond that stretches back long before the founding of NATO.
Before the two world wars.
To the invisible, immeasurable ties that bind our people and our cultures together.

Europe and North America are not separated by an ocean.
We are united by it.
Just as Leif Erikson saw it, a thousand years ago.

And through NATO, we will continue to work together to keep our peoples safe.
And when we are safe…
As the great Canadian poet… Neil Young, would say…
We can “Keep on rockin’ in the free world.”

Thank you, and thank you for this award.