Speech

by NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană at the General Staff College in Hamburg

  • 28 Feb. 2020 -
  • |
  • Last updated 03-Mar-2020 14:07

(As prepared)

Speech by NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană at the Staff College in Hamburg

Major General Kohl,
Brigadier General Neumann,
Officers, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you so much for inviting me here today.
It is an honour to meet the next generation of NATO’s military leadership.
And to meet so many of our friends and partners.

I know that many of you will have served – and will serve – in NATO’s missions and operations around the world.
So first let me thank you all for your bravery, your dedication and your professionalism.

We are at the Clausewitz Barracks.
And I understand there’s an unwritten rule that anyone who speaks here must at some point quote Clausewitz.

Well, he said,
If the leader is filled with high ambition,
and if he pursues his aims with audacity and strength of will,
he will reach them in spite of all obstacles.”

A lot has changed since Clausewitz’s time.
But the sentiment remains true.

NATO’s high ambition is to maintain peace and security.
And this General Staff College, in a very practical way, is about achieving that high ambition.
It represents the best of the NATO Alliance.
Highly skilled and talented people coming together from across the Alliance.
And from partners and countries across the globe.
Working, training and building relationships.

For more than 70 years, the NATO Alliance has existed to bring nations together for our own security.
When it started, there were just twelve Allies.
Today there are 29.
And soon, when North Macedonia joins, we will be 30.
Each committed to defending and protecting the others.

Article 5 of our founding treaty is a solemn commitment.
That an attack on one will be treated as an attack on all.
That promise kept our nations safe throughout the Cold War.
And it keeps us safe today.

For we face significant challenges.
A more assertive Russia.
Instability – from Afghanistan, through Iraq and North Africa.
And terrorism. 

These threats come against a backdrop of rapid technological and geo-political change.

New technologies like Artificial Intelligence, autonomous systems and facial recognition are transforming our societies.
And the character of warfare.
NATO Allies must continue to work together to maintain our technological edge. The edge that has helped to keep us safe for so long.

Many of these new technologies are being led by China.
China has rapidly become the second largest economy in the world.
But it also has the second largest military budget in the world.
So we need to respond, adapt and engage with China.

Our world is increasingly complex and uncertain.
If we are to keep our people safe, NATO Allies need to remain agile.
And ready to respond to threats from all directions.
From land, sea, air, space and cyber-space.

In 2014, Russia illegally annexed Crimea.
And we saw the rise of ISIS.
NATO Allies responded.
We have increased the size and readiness of our forces.
We are delivering on our new NATO Readiness Initiative.
To field 30 air squadrons, 30 combat vessels, and 30 land battalions within 30 days.

And last year we set up two new NATO commands.
One here in Germany, in Ulm, and another in Norfolk in the United States.
To improve our ability to move our forces rapidly across Europe and across the Atlantic.

Germany itself is doing more.
It leads NATO forces in Lithuania.
It supports our deployment in the Aegean Sea to deal with the migrant and refugee crisis.
And it’s the second largest contributor to our training mission in Afghanistan.

Many challenges remain in Afghanistan.
But we are now closer to a peace deal than ever before.

All NATO Allies remain committed to the future of Afghanistan.
Safeguarding the gains we have made together at such great cost.
And ensuring that it is never again a safe haven for terrorists.

In Iraq, all NATO Allies, as well as NATO itself, are part of the US-led Global Coalition Against ISIS.
Today, thanks to our efforts, they no longer control any territory and we have liberated millions of people.
But ISIS remains a threat.
Conducting terrorist attacks in the region and around the world.

So we’ve decided to enhance our NATO Mission in Iraq.
And we’re looking at what more we can do.
Both in Iraq and in the broader region.

***

As well as guaranteeing our security today, NATO is preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
We have updated our standards for resilient civilian telecommunications, including 5G.
And we have declared space as a fifth operational domain – along with land, air, sea and cyber. 

Of course, our freedom and security do not come for free.
That is why all Allies have stepped up their investment in defence.
With more cash, but also with new capabilities and contributions to NATO missions and operations.

European Allies and Canada have increased defence spending for five years in a row.
By the end of 2024 they will have added an additional 400 billion US dollars to their defence budgets.
And Germany is increasing its defence spending by 80%.

We invest in our defence not only because it is right and fair that we share the burden of our security.
But because it is in the national interest of each and every Ally to do so.
Ladies and gentlemen,

In a world that is constantly changing and increasingly challenging,
The best way to maintain our peace and security is to stand together.

The NATO Alliance is the most successful alliance in history because we understand that we are stronger together than apart.

You are the future military leaders of our Alliance.
So as Clausewitz encouraged you.
Be ambitious.
Be bold.
Be strong.
And you will surely achieve your goals.
And our countries will continue to enjoy peace and security.

Thank you.
I am now very happy to answer your questions.