NATO HQ 8 Dec . 2005

Press Conference by Philippe Douste Blazy, Foreign Minister of France following North Atlantic Meeting I'm going to start with some good news. We've just learned from Mrs Carla del Ponte today that Ante Gotovina, the Croatian general on the run, has been arrested in Spain. This was announced by the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal. I'm delighted at this news because it's in line with what we have always maintained, what I've always said, that quite obviously all war criminals had to be brought before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. You'll understand why I'm beginning the press conference with this. I'd also like to say that these six-monthly foreign ministers' meetings are important. This one allowed us both to take stock of the Alliance's activities, and discuss all the challenges it faces. Consequently we talked today about all the important Alliance issues and particularly the major ongoing operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo û and of course its future. Over the day we talked a great deal about the Alliance operations. It's here that the Alliance's credibility is at stake. France is among the leading troop contributors, as you know, not only in Afghanistan, but also in the Balkans: there are 3,000 soldiers in the two areas. In Kosovo, KFOR will have to establish a secure environment over the coming months which will see, as you know, the negotiations on Kosovo's future status. In Afghanistan, we're participating in ISAF which will play a growing security role in support of the Afghan authorities with the takeover of the geographical areas of Operation "Enduring Freedom". So we have a substantial, both political and military, commitment to NATO, which is complementary with our commitment within the European Union since I remind you that we are participating in the EU operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We also talked about the Alliance's future. We want to continue with the transformation of our capacities so that we can respond effectively to crises. France is playing an important part in the transformation, particularly through her contribution to the Alliance's Rapid Response Force. We have to pursue the task of adapting NATO set in train three years ago at the Prague Summit. NATO's role is primarily that of a military alliance. That's what gives it its legitimacy. It's what gives it its credibility for our fellow citizens. The Allies must go on adapting their forces so that they can respond more effectively to the security challenges. And the 2006 summit will be the opportunity to take stock of the efforts initiated since Prague. Over a working breakfast before the Council session, we talked to our partners about the Alliance's action in the Middle East. We had the opportunity to discuss the Mediterranean Dialogue, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and training in Iraq. Let me conclude by saying that Europe and the United States are genuine partners. We have to talk and certainly listen more to each other. EU responsibility for international security and stability is growing, as evidenced by the engagement for nearly a year now of the European Force in peacekeeping in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Moreover, we regard our commitments in the European Union and NATO as perfectly compatible