Opening session of the North Atlantic Council Prague 21 Nov. 2002

Statement by Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of Greece Mr. Secretary General, Dear Colleagues, I want to stress the same point that several colleagues stressed. The importance of this new enlargement does not result from the fact that seven new members joined NATO. Nor from the fact that seven more countries believe that participation in NATO is necessary for their security. It does result from the fact that the leftovers of the division of Europe ceased to exist. That the different degrees of integration of countries in a European and the Euro-Atlantic endeavor are overcome. The importance of our meeting results from the fact that all of us, we confirm that NATO, in a world radically changed since the period of antagonism between East and West, has to play a different role, a role of cooperation in order to foster development, the rule of International Law and peace. Thank you.