Address

Mr. Secretary General,
Ministers, Ambassadors, Excellencies

Let me start by welcoming you to Portugal and to this inaugural Meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.

The North Atlantic Cooperation Council met earlier today for the last time thus completing a cycle in the development of the political dialogue and cooperation with partners.

It has fulfilled a pioneering task in the establishment of a new kind of relationship between the Allies and the counties of Central and Eastern Europe, by making the latter a part of the construction of European security architecture. It played a fundamental role in the creation of a new atmosphere of trust and transparency.

We are extremely proud to be hosting this event that also represents a very significant step in the reform of NATO, which will soon be achieved at the Madrid Summit in July.

We are launching today the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, which succeeds to the NACC. Is this just a change of designation? Not in the least.

The EAPC will constitute the new framework for consultations and cooperation in a vast range of political and security areas.

All the Allies and Partners share the opportunities of political consultations and cooperation. Self-differentiation will enable us to respond, more adequately and flexibly, to the concerns and priorities of each Partner, while maintaining transparency and a climate of trust, which are essential for the success or our endeavours.

Together with NATO enlargement, the NATO-Russia "Founding Act", the enhancement of PfP, and the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership with Ukraine, the EAPC will constitute the backbone of our security architecture. No country of the emerging "Ring of Security" that embraces North America, Europe, Central and North Asia can be excluded from this endeavour. As an inclusive forum, the EAPC will contribute to allay any feelings of separateness.

Nowadays we need flexible and operational structures to deal with a wide variety of crises or conflicts. As the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina has already shown, very complex situations need a great effort from the international community, both in human and financial resources. The joint experience of allies and partners in Bosnia can provide good lessons for the future. But the most important is that we must have the political will to address the crises that may pose a serious threat to the security and stability of our "Ring of Security".

And doing so we should not just look inwards but also, together, take good notice of what is going along outside our Ring. For we cannot hope to guarantee a consistent degree of security for ourselves without having a coherent approach and active involvement in global world affairs.

First, of course, we have to put our own house in good order. But if we manage this task successfully, then it should become clear to us that we will stand as the major and most powerful factor for peace and stability in the world.

Thus, in reality, we face a double responsibility when shaping the new order within our ring. Towards our own peoples, guaranteeing their liberty in peace and security; and towards the whole world promoting global stability under the rule of law.

What greater task, what more valuable mission could we offer ourselves? So, together, let us go ahead!

Monsieur le Secrétaire Général

Messieurs les ministres et ambassadeurs
Excellences

Nous devons faire face de nos jours à une multiplicité de risques et de défis qui menacent nos états et notre société, tels que nous les envisageons - des états démocratiques, respectant les Droits de l'Homme, avec des économies de marché et des préoccupations de solidarité sociale.

Nous ne devrons plus être divisés. Il faut élargir l'espace démocratique et de stabilité pour préserver l'héritage commun que nous partageons. C'est pourquoi il faut soutenir tous les efforts contre les nationalismes violents, le fondamentalismes - quels qu'ils soient - contre les fanatismes et l'irrationalité, qui menacent la démocratie et la stabilité.

Je tiens à vous dire. Le clivage dans le monde de demain sera entre ceux qui feront siennes les vertus de la raison et ceux qui sombreront dans le vertige des utopies nées de la crédulité de qui s'imagine avoir la vérité absolue dans sa poche.

En venant ici aujourd'hui, je tiens à saluer la création de ce nouveau forum de dialogue mais aussi de coopération concrète. Elle montre combien de chemin on a déjà parcouru ensemble depuis la chute du Mur de Berlin, le symbole de la division de l'Europe et de notre espace commun.

Je tiens surtout à exprimer ma confiance dans nos capacités pour continuer à faire de cet "Anneau de Sécurité", qui s'étend de Bering à Bering, un espace de paix et de stabilité dans la démocratie aussi bien que de progrès économique et de solidarité sociale, un modèle qui puisse devenir un example pour d'autres régions, encore ravagées par des conflits.

Merci.