Rome,
Italy
28 May 2002
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Address
by
David Oddsson,
Prime Minister of Iceland
to the NATO-Russia Summit
Secretary General of NATO, President Berlusconi, Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I convey my thanks to President Berlusconi, for inviting us
to meet here in Rome, one of the greatest cities if not the
greatest in world history and civilization.
The Rome Summit has a double purpose. On the one hand it is
a ratification of the historic accord between NATO and Russia,
and on the other hand a promise by 20 free states, which are
committed to building on the rule of law and democracy, to counter
any terrorist forces and smother any actions by them against
peace-loving nations or against their citizens. The founders
of NATO never even permitted themselves the luxury of dreaming
about the former, and the risk of global war loomed over them
like a nightmare for decades. However, there is no doubt that
they would have welcomed the collective show of determination
and steadfastness that we want to make against terrorist gangs
and the individuals or states that try to assist them in perpetrating
their evil deeds. The European politician who was the most enthusiastic
advocate of consolidating the transatlantic link with mighty
bonds, and tying it together with knots that would never be
undone, was, among national leaders, the most gifted master
of language since the days of Julius Caesar. He would not have
flinched at giving a piece of his mind to the forces that regard
an ambush on peaceful citizens as somehow strengthening their
miserable schemes. Of such men Churchill said:
"We will have no truce or parley with you, or the
grisly gang who do your wicked will. You do your worst - and
we will do our best."
After the agreement between NATO and Russia today, peace-loving
nations, are more capable than ever of doing their best to get
the better of those who do their worst.
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