Remarks

Thank you so much Secretary Pompeo. And many thank, Mike, for hosting us all here today. And for your leadership in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

Let me start by congratulating the United States on the successful action of your Special Forces against ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi. 

I think this really a milestone in our efforts against international terrorism.

All NATO Allies are part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Together, we provide significant support. Including with air surveillance and training.

The Coalition has made significant progress.

Millions of people and vast territories have been liberated. But the fight is not over. ISIS is still a threat.

The situation in Northern Syria remains fragile and difficult. It is well known that there are differences between NATO Allies when it comes to the situation there.

But at the same time, we agree on the need to safeguard the gains we have made against our common enemy ISIS. And to support the UN-led efforts to achieve a sustainable political solution.

We also agree on the need to continue to build the capacity of partner forces. To strengthen their resilience against terrorism. 

We partner with Iraq to help them build, train and educate their security forces, so they can ensure ISIS does not return. NATO also contributes to the fight against international terrorism in other ways, not least through our training mission in Afghanistan.

We train and advise Afghan security forces. To help them fight terrorism and to ensure that ISIS does not gain the foothold in Afghanistan that they lost in Iraq and in Syria.

And NATO is also helping other countries, such as Jordan and Tunisia, build their local counter-terrorism capacity.

Because prevention is better than intervention. And building local capacity is one of the best tools we have in our common fight against terrorism.

So I look forward to our discussions today and hearing views about how the Global Coalition can continue to make the world safer.

Thank you.