Address

Good evening, late Good afternoon, I really want to tell you that I'm absolutely impressed today, first of all, for your professionalism and your dedication, that you are not only making sure that Bulgaria is safe, that this whole area is safe of the world, but that you also keep the whole Alliance safe.

I'm also very much impressed, because this is not only Italy. Italy is a big part of this Battlegroup, but you have here people from Albania, from Montenegro, from Croatia, from other countries, North Macedonia, and they are all working together here, from Greece to make sure that this works.

And as the defence minister was just telling me when we were walking over to this place, this is the strength of NATO, that we work together, that it is not only the Italians doing it, the Americans are involved. I mean all these nations working together and having to make sure that what the one is doing is fitting with what the other is doing, that professionalism and that is completely natural for us to do this, not only within our own contingent, but working together with many men and women in uniform from other countries, I think, is what makes us unconquerable in the long term, and I want to thank you for that.

I do realize that you are here during Christmas, and not only you are here during Christmas, all over NATO territories, there are men and women in uniform serving the Alliance whilst their families are at home for Christmas, and you're not there. So I really want to acknowledge that fact, and thank you, particularly, also for the fact that you're willing to do this whilst you are not with your families, but making us safe, keeping us safe.

Again, your professionalism, your dedication, it really touches me. I'm now Secretary General of NATO for two and a half months. And before this, I was in national politics. But what you guys are doing, the men and women in uniform, is exemplary for all our societies.

So again, thank you for doing this, for being here, for keeping us safe. And having said that, of course, I also want to wish you a good Christmas here with your colleagues, a safe new year and a happy new year. And I hope you will return safe to your families in about, I think, most of the cases, 40 days, two months from now, again.

Thank you. And with that, it's my honour and pleasure to give the floor, I think, to the Commander. Yes.