Statement
to the Press
by Lord
Robertson, NATO Secretary General,
following the Defence Ministers Meeting
When NATO's Defence Ministers met today they and I were very much aware
that it was almost a year to the day since KFOR entered Kosovo, after
our Alliance had successfully risen to the greatest challenge of its 50
year history. We did not meet in an atmosphere of self-congratulation,
however, because this was very much a working meeting, building for the
future not resting on our laurels.
All of us are determined to continue the process of adapting NATO to
new challenges and new risks. After spending decades keeping the peace
we are now shaping the future peace, but in very changed circumstances
that means reshaping and modernising our forces.
The need for radical updating was clearly demonstrated by Kosovo, which
has been both a success for NATO, and a pointer to further change. NATO's
success has too often been overlooked by some, but a year on I look back
on what we have achieved with pride.
We reversed the worst ethnic cleansing since World War 2, over a million
refugees are now back home, and after a decade of discrimination Kosovar
Albanians are now able to start rebuilding their lives and homes.
A formidable task remains, and the commitment we showed to win the air
campaign a year ago must now be maintained over the long haul. Much of
Kosovo is peaceful, but we know that tension lies just beneath the surface,
and levels of violence are unacceptable.
That means keeping troop levels up, and for the international community
to supply more police and judges, to help in the slow but steady restoration
of law and order.
But it is clear from this Defence Ministerial meeting that we have the
will to win the peace, and we also have the mandate. There are some who
believe Resolution 1244,
which mandates our presence, expires this weekend and that the Yugoslav
troops are returning. They are wrong, 1244 stays effective unless the
Security Council decides otherwise. For those who doubt our commitment
to stay I point to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where SFOR continues its work as
determined as when it first entered.
The Kosovo campaign was not just a success story for NATO - it was an
alarm bell on our weaknesses - that alarm bell is still ringing. The United
States carried far too much of the load and Europe has to shoulder more
of the burden - something Europe has acknowledged openly.
The fact is our forces are still not properly adapted to today's threats
and tomorrow's challenges. The Cold War may be dead and gone, but too
many of our armies are structured to fight yesterday's battles. We simply
do not have enough of the flexible, mobile forces needed for the new century.
However, we now have a roadmap for reform to our armed forces. With NATO's
Defence Capabilities Initiative we have created a checklist for achieving
these changes, and progress is being made. Several nations are bringing
in the kind of radical reforms we need, new equipment is being ordered
or developed in key areas such as strategic airlift and precision guided
weapons.
All this is very encouraging, but no-one should fool themselves that
reform and reprioritisation are enough on their own. Strong defence means
two things for NATO's nations - spending wisely, but also spending enough.
Europe in particular has to live up to its stated ambitions to play a
stronger defence role.
After years of falling defence budgets the peace dividend has long since
been paid. You cannot get defence on the cheap, and there can be no real
security without resources.
This is a message I have being giving out to the nations over the last
few months. I have already written to heads of state and government, reminding
them of the commitments we all made at last year's Washington Summit.
Today I made the position crystal clear for Defence Ministers and they
accepted the challenge to do better.
I am determined to see NATO, which has already done so much, continue
the evolution that will make it as important in the new century as it
was in the last, and that's a view I found shared by my colleagues in
today's meeting.
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