Opening remarks

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to this third Strategic Concept seminar, which as you know, is devoted to the topic of partnerships, and therefore it's obviously very heartening this morning to see so many of NATO's partner countries represented here at high level. So welcome, a particular welcome to partners, but of course, thank you all for coming... travelling to Oslo today to join the debate.

I'm very pleased indeed that we can kick off today with our two keynote speakers; Minister Støre, of course, the Foreign Minister of Norway, and he will be followed by the introductory remarks of Secretary Albright.

So I think everybody is now ready, and I will ask Minister Støre to come up here, take the floor and to make his introductory remarks.
Minister, the floor is yours.