Video interview

with NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Ambassador Martin Erdmann

Q:  We're here today with Ambassador Martin Erdmann, the NATO Assistant Secretary General of Political Affairs and Security Policy Division.  Ambassador Erdmann, you recently spoke just before the opening of a NATO seminar in Vilnius, Lithuania.  You mentioned you looked forward to this event.  How was it?

MARTIN ERDMANN (NATO Assistant Secretary General of Political Affairs and Security Policy Division):   I think it was a very successful event.  At the end of the meeting in Vilnius last week, I told the audience:  "If you like the seminar please go around the world and tell everybody.  If you don't like... didn't like it, then come to me and complain."  I didn't have anybody to complain vis-à-vis myself.  So I think most participants had the same assessment. 

When you look at the number of participating nations, the number of participating institutions, the figures speak for themselves: 43 countries being represented at Vilnius; 127 participants altogether, so a large audience; and a number of international organizations such the EU, the United Nations in the person of the chairman of 1540 Committee, Ambassador Burian.  So I would say from a substantive point of view it was very successful but also from an organizational standpoint because we had the whole non-proliferation arena around the globe convened at Vilnius.

Q:  What were some of the main challenges to non-proliferation efforts that were highlighted at the seminar?

ERDMANN:  The main thrust of the discussions was that the proliferation issue is of even more importance on an increasing basis.  The tools for proliferation in a globalized world become easier accessible for proliferators.  And the international community has to increase its cooperation in order to make sure that proliferation does not occur.  In other words, there was a strong feeling for the need of better international coordination and cooperation.  And there were numerous representatives who said that they would like to increase their practical cooperation with NATO in this field.

Q:  Did you reach any agreements on any specifics?

ERDMANN:  The idea of this seminar... we have called it "seminar" not "negotiations", or what have you, was to exchange views in a free flow of discussions.  In that respect, I would say, the seminar has fully achieved its purpose, namely the presentation of views from nations, what do nations do to prevent proliferation from occurring, for example in the legal field, and what can international organizations do for better coordination.  So I would say a variety of topics addressed without necessarily a precooked structure.  And that was the strength of this seminar.

Q:  Did you agree to have follow-on seminars?

ERDMANN:  This was the third seminar in a row, hosted this time by Lithuania. We agreed that NATO will offer another opportunity in 2008.  And I'm sure that we will have a host country as well.  I've clear indications but I'm not yet in a position to unveil those. 

Q:  Are you optimistic that the worse case scenario of a continued spread of weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivery can be stopped?

ERDMANN:  I think we currently have, when you look to North Korea and Iran, promising and non-promising developments.  In the case of North Korea, we have an agreement which now needs to be implemented.  But the signals the international community receives and the Six Parties receive are relatively promising. 

In the case of Iran, the Security Council has started with sanctions and we've heard announcement of the Iranian side that they will enhance their program and that they also already have reached a certain level of technical feasibility.  So from that point of view, the signals are not as promising.  So it's a mixed picture altogether. 

But what I would say as the chairman of a meeting in Vilnius is that the readiness of the international community to tackle the proliferation and the nuclear, biological and chemical field, it's not only about nuclear; it's also biological and chemical, that this readiness clearly has increased and probably in of case of North Korea and Iran helped to foster the consciousness that more international cooperation and coordination in the efforts is requested.

Q:  Thank you very much.

ERDMANN:  Thank you very much indeed.