Event

  • Summit meetings of Heads of State and Government Bucharest, Romania, 2 to 4 April 2008
Bucharest,
Romania

3 Apr. 2008

Opening remarks

by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
including Ceremony honouring NATO military personnel for service in the operational theatres of the Alliance

Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are gathered here this morning to take decisions that will shape the future of our Alliance and the security of our nations.

Our common security and shared values are best defended through cooperation and collective action.  That is the essence of this Alliance. 

That collective approach is built through political dialogue, in meeting rooms like this one.  Sometimes, it also requires the deployment of our nations’ armed forces on operations. Our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines frequently put themselves in harm’s way, so that we can be safe in our countries and in our homes.

It is therefore appropriate that we start today’s meeting by paying tribute to the professionalism and dedication of the more than sixty thousand men and women who are currently deployed in NATO-led missions and operations – personnel from Allied nations, as well as increasingly from other nations, too.

It is a privilege for us to be joined this morning by a representative from each of our 26 Allies. I would ask that they enter the room now.

I welcome all of you to Council this morning. Every individual present has experience of operations under NATO command, and you are here to represent both their nation and their peers, so that we can express our profound gratitude.

Today, we honour, in particular, those who have given their lives on behalf of our Alliance. And we extend our deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones. We also honour those who have been injured in the course of our common effort.

May I now ask you to join me in a minute’s silence, to pay homage to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice by laying down their life in the service of our Alliance.

Last post sounded - One minute silence – Reveille sounded

I thank all of our NATO soldiers once again, and express our deepest gratitude to you and all of your colleagues for the remarkable service that you continue to make to peace, freedom and democracy. I would kindly invite you to leave Council at this time.

OPENING SESSION

Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Je vous souhaite de nouveau la bienvenue à Bucarest et au sommet de l'OTAN.

Je salue tout particulièrement les chefs d'État et de gouvernement qui nous rejoignent pour la première fois dans cette configuration.

D'importantes questions figurent à l'ordre du jour de notre réunion.

Premièrement, nous allons prendre des décisions concernant l'élargissement de l'OTAN. L'Europe doit être unie et sûre.  La porte de l'OTAN est ouverte aux démocraties européennes depuis la création de l'Alliance.  Cela n'a pas changé.  Nous allons confirmer, ici, à Bucarest, que la famille OTAN continuera de s'agrandir.

Deuxièmement, nous allons faire fond sur le succès de nos opérations.  Aider l'Afghanistan à construire la paix et la stabilité est une priorité pour l'ensemble de la communauté internationale. Lors de ce sommet, nous allons définir la vision que nous avons d'un Afghanistan stable et sûr, ainsi que notre stratégie pour atteindre cet objectif, avec nos partenaires afghans et nos partenaires internationaux.  S'agissant de notre mission au Kosovo, nous allons affirmer notre détermination sans faille à assurer la sécurité et la stabilité au cours de cette phase critique.

Un Kosovo stable, démocratique et multiethnique demeure notre objectif, et la KFOR restera ferme dans l'exécution de son mandat.

Troisièmement, nous allons approfondir nos partenariats avec d'autres pays et institutions. Le partenariat est devenu une caractéristique permanente du fonctionnement de l'OTAN. Le Conseil de partenariat euro-atlantique, la Commission OTAN-Ukraine et le Conseil OTAN-Russie ont rapidement acquis une valeur stratégique durable, nous permettant d'aborder même les questions les plus délicates.

Enfin, nous allons préparer notre Alliance à faire face aux nouvelles menaces du XXIe siècle.

À l'ère de la mondialisation, nous nous trouvons confrontés à des défis nouveaux et en évolution. Aujourd'hui, nous allons nous pencher sur le rôle que la défense antimissile va jouer dans notre dispositif de défense futur. Nous allons définir le rôle de l'OTAN dans la cyberdéfense. Et nous allons examiner dans quels domaines l'OTAN peut apporter une valeur ajoutée en matière de sécurité énergétique.

This is a busy agenda for our Summit. It demonstrates just how central NATO has become to ensuring our common security. But it also reflects the need for security cooperation beyond NATO. By working together with other institutions, and with partner countries from across the globe, NATO remains an indispensable engine for effective international security cooperation. Our decisions here today and tomorrow will give further shape and substance to the new NATO – and ensure that it can play its new roles to the full. I am delighted to now give the floor to our host.

[WELCOME BY PRESIDENT BÂSESCU]

Thank you Mr. President. Let me take this opportunity to offer you our profound gratitude for receiving us so warmly in Bucharest. We are truly enjoying the excellent hospitality of your country. Let me also commend, through you, the Romanian Team that put together such an outstanding organisation for our Summit.