Secretary General determined to turn Lisbon agenda into action

Rasmussen highlighted his three key priorities for this year: sustainable transition in Afghanistan, moving forward with NATO reform and engaging more effectively with NATO’s partners.

On Afghanistan he noted that “this spring will see a new start in Afghanistan, with the announcement of the first provinces where Afghan security forces are ready to take the lead.” The Secretary General recognised that 2011 will not be easy: “We will continue to drive deep into insurgent territory and we expect continued violence as the enemy fights back. The future will be determined not by the insurgents, but by the people of Afghanistan.” Rasmussen emphasised that the transition to Afghan forces needed to be durable and that NATO’s commitment to the country is reinforced by the recently agreed Afghanistan-NATO Enduring Partnership, for which he expected concrete ideas  to be agreed by Foreign Ministers in April.

In line with commitments made at Lisbon, the Secretary General stated he will push for the implementation of decisions taken on agency reform, the military command structure and the package of the most critical capabilities. Recognising the need for increase efficiency in a time of economic austerity, Rasmussen said “these reforms will improve our defence capabilities and ensure that NATO is more efficient in its use of resources.”

The Secretary General presented an positive view of NATO-Russia relations, highlighting the progress made in the relationship since Russia accepted NATO’s invitation to develop practical cooperation on missile defence at Lisbon. He noted that for the first time NATO countries and Russia will cooperate to defend Europe and that NATO foresees two independent, but coordinated, territorial missile defence systems. The Secretary General was encouraged by the progress made towards the ratification of the new START treaty.

In the broader context of partnerships, the Secretary General reiterated that “NATO intends to further deepen and expand its partnerships with countries and organisations with whom we share common security concerns.” Rasmussen stated that the Alliance will cooperate with key actors on the common emerging security threats and that NATO will give priority to further developing valuable cooperation with partner organisations, particularly the United Nations and European Union.