Press statement

Good afternoon- a very good afternoon to you.

Let me start by echoing what was said many times around the table this morning and that is thanks to President Bush that he is here showing the continued commitment to NATO so shortly after his inauguration. I mean I would be unfaithful to the discussion if I didn't start like this so let me say once again on my own behalf, Mr. President, thank you for being here. Thank you for coming.

What did we discuss? What have I heard today?

I have heard strong support for the Atlantic Alliance. I have heard strong support for the common values which bind us in the past, in the present and in the future.

I have heard strong support for NATO's operations and missions; strong support for what we are doing in Afghanistan and our further ambitions.

Strong support for the training mission in Iraq where we have further ambitions in setting up the training academy and where we have now fully manned and financed what we committed to do and you know it's the Iraqi government's first priority: training the Iraqi Security Forces so that their dependence on others can be less than it is at the moment.

I've heard strong support for our continued presence in Kosovo and stability in the Balkans.

I have heard a discussion on the importance of a strong NATO-EU partnership.

At length, government leaders, Heads of State, discussed the political role of NATO, a stronger political role of NATO and there was a lot of support for what I have been saying over the past 8-9 months, that this political role is important, that NATO is a political military alliance and that we should not shy away from discussing political subjects of relevance.

Many remarks and interventions were made on the Middle East. The importance of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue which is being strengthened, the importance of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative for the activities of NATO in this very pivotal region where security and stability is not only important for the region but far beyond.

Of course the hopes for progress in the Israeli-Palestinian question were discussed and I think it's important that by outreaching into the region NATO follow this process although it does not play a primary role.

Of course let me come back to Ukraine this morning, there is strong support, strong support first of all for NATO's bottom line which is NATO has an open door for those European democracies who fulfil the obligations. Strong support for giving President Yushchenko in his challenging endeavour to bring Ukraine closer to Euro-Atlantic integration, to support him in that respect.

In other words, because I want to be brief, it was an excellent Summit- it was an excellent Summit, it was an excellent idea of the President to come here, to have this Summit here and now because there is daunting and challenging task and a daunting and challenging agenda waiting for NATO and we'll go for that agenda; and I'll make proposals, in the not too distant future, on this political role for NATO.

And the atmosphere was excellent and that was the way it should be because what binds us are the values--we'll discuss them, we'll have differences of opinion yes from time to time--but there is a lot more we agree upon and that is the bottom line. And that's the basis for this great Alliance and that's the way, I in my responsibility having this privilege of being Secretary General, I will run the Alliance.