NATO HQ 1 Oct. 2003

Welcoming remarks by NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson at the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium Lord Robertson: First of all, I would like to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of the Belgiums, Duke of Brabant, who is here with us today and I offer bienvenue des ministres de Belgique, ministères des Affaires étrangères Louis Michel et le ministre de la Défense, André Flahaut, un ancien collègue, des ministres de Défense. Your Royal Highness, you're very welcome to this table here this morning, not least because of course you yourself served in the armed forces of your country. You are the current Prince of the host nation to whom we are always grateful, and I know myself of your great interest in defence and security issues because, of course, in private circumstances I've been subject of detailed interrogations by you as well. So I know that that interest will be fuelled by the discussion that you'll hear today as well. I'd like, of course, on behalf of all of the nations represented round this table, and of all of the members of the North Atlantic Council to congratulate you and Her Royal Highness on the birth of your son Gabriel on the 20th of August, and we wish you all the best as well, to him in addition. For 35 years this headquarters has been here in Belgium in these temporary headquarters that were established at that time generously by the Belgium government, and we hope that temporary habitation is going to come to an end soon and we'll move across the road to the site generously offered to us by the Belgium Ministry of Defence for the new headquarters. Which I believe will be one of Belgium's most striking new buildings. But of course, to get a building built with 19 bosses is not an easy task, and when I leave here in a few months time and people ask me what was the most difficult thing you had to do then it won't be Kosovo and it won't be Afghanistan, and it won't be trying to get capabilities out. I fear it will be trying to construct a new headquarters for a multinational organization. But I hope that my successor, or perhaps his successor, will be able to invite us back here for the opening of this grand new building as well. So we're very grateful for your interest and for your attendance here today. Your Royal Highness, you have the floor. Speech by His Royal Highness Prince Philippe of Belgium Lord Robertson: Your Royal Highness, thank you very much for these thoughts, which reflect the ongoing debate that takes place; a debate that has always provided NATO with the vitality of democracy, which is its essential life blood as well. So you have come here today to a working meeting of the North Atlantic Council, and we're about to have a discussion on matters related to the NATO Response Force. So as somebody who wears, I have no doubt with pride, the brevet of paratrooper and of a trained pilot on a Mirage jet, I think you'll find it relevant, important and interesting as well. So we thank you very much for your interest in coming here today and for the kind words that you have addressed to the Council. And we will now move on with the agenda. Thank you.