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| Updated: 09-Dec-2004 | NATO Speeches |
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NATO HQ 9 Dec. 2004 |
Press conference by
NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
de Hoop Scheffer: Good afternoon once again. Let me start by saying that if I look back at the meetings we've had--I'm now focusing on the North Atlantic Council, the first session this morning and the lunch we just finished--I first of all come to the conclusion that we have had this meeting in a very open and good atmosphere. And on the basis, I think, of a strong consensus, transatlantic consensus on the important subjects we have discussed. Let me, dwelling on the subjects, start with Afghanistan, where of course NATO is in the process, and on the basis of the indications and the offers I have of enlarging ISAF, expanding ISAF, I should say, into what we call Phase 2, which is in non-NATO-speak, the Herat province, the western part of Afghanistan and you know that's counterclockwise. We also have the ambition eventually to expand in what we call Phases 3 and 4, which is the southern and southeastern part of the country. For the moment we are focusing on Phase 2 and I have full confidence that in the new year, early in the new year, we will achieve this second phase in Afghanistan. What we also discussed, what we also need, of course, that is the preparation for the electoral support. You know that in the spring there will be parliamentary elections, provincial district election, municipal elections, more complicated, I think, than the presidential elections. NATO will support that electoral process once again. I was able to tell this to President Karzai when I attended his inauguration two days ago in Kabul. What also is clear, and where ministers very much agreed, that is that NATO, but more the international community in general, does need a concerted and comprehensive strategy as far as the fight against drugs is concerned. Here, of course, NATO is certainly in the lead, but it is important. You know, that the United Kingdom is lead nation on the basis of a G8 initiative as far as this difficult subject is concerned. It goes without saying that that's when we discuss a coherent strategy as far as counter-narcotics are concerned. The prime responsibility also here is with the Afghan government. So it will be in strong concertation and consultation with President Karzai and his government. Finally, you know that with the parliamentary elections in Spring the Bonn process formally comes to an end. So if I talk about longer term strategy where NATO should play a role, has to play a role, given its presence in Afghanistan it is also time to start thinking about a post-Bonn strategy. On Iraq, there is clear agreement, continued agreement, to support Iraq on its way to further stability and security. You know that NATO is focusing on the training mission inside Iraq, and a number of Allies also, outside Iraq. The Iraqi discussion, discussion on Iraq was a forward-looking discussion. There was no rear-view mirror. Whatever the positions of Allies was in the run-up to the Iraqi war, and you know all what those positions were, there is now a clear ambition to see that Iraq further progresses on its way to stability. And I may say, to my joy, that this morning the Council, ministers, have agreed to what we call in our NATO-speak, a so-called execution directive, read again in non-NATO-speak, that we're entering and finalizing the next phase of the NATO training mission in Iraq. I could tell you that during my visit last week I could see that a lot already have been done, and has been done by the NATO team, which is in Iraq at the moment, but we have a number of countries...we've seen a number of countries over the past days contributing to the number of trainers we need for this phase, the support we need for this phase, military police, a transport platoon, and what have you, so I'm very glad and happy to report that the training mission in Iraq is running entirely according to schedule. We also discussed... we did that over lunch, like Iraq by the way, of course, the western Balkans, focusing not only on the successful transfer of SFOR to EUFOR, the Operation Althea, we had the ceremony last week in Sarajevo, but on Kosovo. Kosovo, of course, fragile, a very difficult political process. And allies very much agree that the troop levels of KFOR should absolutely be maintained. There can be no changes in the KFOR force levels. KFOR should keep its operational capability and its vigilance. The second important element I can tell you from the discussion that there is strong support for the Special Representative Søren Jessen-Petersen, and of course the message to the government of Kosovo is that there is an absolute need for seriously further implementing the standards policy and there's also an absolute need for the Prime Minister Haradinaj and his followers to behave responsibly if Mr. Haradinaj might be indicted. That's not up to NATO. That's not up to me. That's up to Madame Del Ponte, in The Hague, but it's important and that's what ministers discussed, that Mr. Haradinaj and his followers behave responsibly if he is indicted by the ICTY. Finally, on Ukraine, I already informed you on the basis of the NATO-Russia Council meeting we have on the statement we had. Ukraine was of course also discussed in the framework of the North Atlantic Council. We'll certainly have in the next week a meeting at ambassadorial level with the Ukrainian Ambassador Khandogiy in the NATO-Ukraine Council. This morning I received a letter from Foreign Minister Gryshchenko of Ukraine, a constructive letter, I must say, in which he compliments the international mediators, refers to the important decisions made in Ukraine yesterday, and where he shows the ambition, and that is an ambition NATO ministers very much share, that Ukraine is an important part into NATO. That of course, the principles NATO adheres to we hold upright. You know what they are. But Minister Gryshchenko writes me from a positive spirit and a positive attitude, and that I think is a good sign and a good indication. Let me leave it here. Finally, it was a good meeting, in
an excellent atmosphere in transatlantic unity and concerns us on the
important issues NATO is confronted with. Let me end by saying that there
was strong support by ministers for remarks I have made repeatedly over
the past weeks and that is that it's really relevant that NATO plays
a strong political role in the theatres, of course, where NATO is active.
And that also the North Atlantic Council should be used, and has been
used this morning very much by ministers for the political dialogue where the Council is for.
After all, NATO is a political military organization, and all those elements
should be used to the full. Q: Mark John from Reuters News Agency. Secretary General, could you give us a few more details on the phase of the Iraqi training missions covered by this new execution order. Specifically which countries have come forward to offer new trainers? How many trainers in total will you have for this phase as it starts? Indeed, when will it start, and what of the military academy outside of Baghdad? Have you got any timeframe for that? de Hoop Scheffer: Let me first of all tell you that as far as this phase is concerned, that the number of personnel will go up from its present 60 to about 300. That is trainers and a few supporting staff. There have been a number of Allies who participate in the... of course, a number of Allies are already participating, but who will participate and who have made offers today. I could mention Poland. I could mention Hungary. I could mention the Netherlands. And I'm looking to James if I'm forgetting nations. But other... I mean, I should not only mention those three. It's a joint exercise of many NATO Allies. Not all, as you know, because a number of Allies prefers to do the training outside Iraq. For the moment we've got up to 300 and the next phase, which will then come in the new year, in the spring, is the setting up, indeed, of the training academy in Al Rustamiyah, just outside Baghdad. I visited the site last week. But we have now, according, as I said, according to our schedule, agreed to what we call the second phase of the training mission in Iraq. Q: Robert van de Roer from NRC Handelsblad from the Netherlands. Secretary General, NATO still seems paralyzed by the Iraq crisis. It's more or less stumbling into Iraq with a small training mission and it's very far from the impressive troop levels it had during the nineties, in for instance Bosnia. Now, President Bush is coming to Europe, but should we expect miracles from that. So what's... the question is, what do you expect, and what do you foresee? What needs to happen to bring NATO back to the centre stage of international action? de Hoop Scheffer: Well, I hope, but apparently in your opinion, I've failed to have given you an indication in my introduction, and let me first of all that the qualification you're using are your qualifications. I'll stay very far from them. I hope I've given you an example, in citing the different areas, theatres and subject NATO's dealing with, that we are doing well. No denying, no denying of course, but you'll repeat that, so there we agree, no denying that of course in the run-up to the Iraqi war there were fundamental differences. But I think that that's a process which has started in Istanbul does see a forward looking NATO. A NATO which realizes that we cannot afford to see Iraq enter into internal conflict. A NATO which is also focusing exactly on what the Iraqi government is asking from NATO, which is the training mission. And I leave again, your qualifications of course are for you, but if we go up now for 60 to 300 trainers, including supporting staff, and entering into a very serious NATO training mission, I'm a happy man as Secretary General, and it's proof of the consensus and proof of the forward-lookingness of the Allied ministers, Allied leaders in Istanbul, Allied ministers. On the second part of your question, or your remarks, indeed, I consider it of great importance that the American president is coming to Europe very soon after his inauguration. Will visit NATO. That will contribute to what I just said, this consensus-based, oriented approach by NATO. Despite the differences we had, past time, we had, and not we have. And it's a sign of full United States commitment to NATO. I have never doubted that commitment, that we have that immediately. But some others might have, but I have never doubted it. But it's a sign. Let's not forget that I was, as NATO Secretary General, the very first visitor to come to the Oval Office, that the United States and that President Bush was and is fully committed to NATO. And so I think NATO is in very good shape. NATO is playing an important role. Could you imagine an Afghanistan without NATO? I can't. Could you imagine Kosovo without NATO? I can't. Could you imagine the Mediterranean without an important NATO maritime operation? I can't. Could you imagine a NATO without important partnerships, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Mediterranean Dialogue, the broader Middle East? I can't. Could you imagine a NATO without a strong relationship with the European Union? I can't. Could you imagine a NATO with a great number of countries, wanting as soon as possible to become member of this organization? I can't. Thank you. Q: (inaudible)...Nouvelles Atlantiques, Agence Europe. Pour revenir M. Secrétaire général sur l'Irak, vous avez cité le chiffre de 300 personnes. J'aurais voulu savoir sur ces 300 combien seront des formateurs et combien seront là pour le soutien et la protection des forces. Vous n'avez pas répondu à la question de mon collègue pour savoir quand est-ce qu'ils seront sur place. J'aurais voulu savoir aussi si vous avez déjà trouvé toutes ces personnes, si la génération des forces est terminée pour ces 300 personnes. Et si vous pourriez donner d'autres noms que les trois pays que vous avez déjà cités? de Hoop Scheffer: That's a lot. Premièrement, j'ai dit que ces 300 en total inclut le soutient. J'ai évoqué je crois un peloton pour le transport et la police militaire n'est-ce pas? Alors je ne sais pas le numéro tout à fait exact mais la grande majorité de ces 300 seront des formateurs. Quand ils seront là? As soon as possible. Est-ce que c'est la fin de cette phase de la mission de la formation? Oui. Pour le moment c'est la fin de cette phase mais comme j'ai dit en répondant sur la question de votre collègue de Reuters on continue bien sûr le processus de génération de la force pour organiser l'Académie de la Formation en Al-Rustamiyah. Alors on n'est pas près, mais je suis heureux qu'on ait eu le consensus sur la deuxième phase de la mission de formation Q: Yes. Glenn Kessler with the Washington Post. There are about a half dozen countries that are refusing to allow their officers assigned to NATO bases be deployed in Iraq. Does this set a precedent that could possibly weaken NATO? And just also to follow up on the last question, do you actually have 300 people committed now, today, that you can send to Iraq, as you said, as soon as possible, which seems could be months down the road? de Hoop Scheffer: No, the answer to the second of your questions is
yes. And they'll leave as soon as possible. What exactly as soon
as possible
is? Is it Monday afternoon, that day in January or a week later,
I do not know. But they'll leave a soon as possible. And I met the team
which is already there which is around 60. On the other hand, I realize that of course when we look at Iraq and the history of Iraq, there were differences of opinion, but I think that Iraq should, in my opinion anyway, stay as the Germans so nicely say, ein Sonderfall; a special case. But in general, I mean, I'm of the opinion that whenever NATO agrees to have an operation, all NATO Allies who have politically agreed to that operation should send the people they have assigned to international military staffs, to participate in that operation. Because the discussion goes to the heart of the matter, to the core of NATO and to the core of NATO solidarity. de Hoop Scheffer: I see Secretary Powell coming. Let me say that in the North Atlantic Council and in the NATO-Russia Council there were two rounds of immense applause for everything Colin Powell has done as a Secretary of State during his tenure for the Atlantic Alliance. Always having been a staunch supporter. Let me say now, Colin, I wish you all the very best, and thanking you also, publicly here, in front of all the press agian for the tremendous effort and everything you have done for this unique Alliance. US Secretary of State Colin Powell: Thank you, Mr Secretary General. 
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