21 June 2003

Lord Robertson attends European Union Summit on Balkans News 20/06/2003 - NATO Lord Robertson to attend European Union Summit on the Balkans and the World Economic Forum on 21-22 June 2003 Opinions 21/06/2003 - NATO Remarks by NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson at the EU-Western Balkans Summit Thessaloniki Background The Process of Bringing Peace to the Former Yugoslavia NATO - EU relations NATO is committed to peace in the Balkans, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson told participants at a EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki, 21 June. The Secretary General took part in the meeting on the invitation of the Greek Presidency of the European Union. “The deliberations here today will help the Western Balkan countries move beyond stabilisation and reconstruction, to sustainable security, prosperity and integration into European structures. That goal, which even a few years ago seemed unattainable, is becoming a closer reality,” he said in his address. But progress depends on the commitment of the countries to key reforms, Lord Robertson emphasized. He called on the governments to press on with efforts to build enduring democracies, to root out crime and corruption, and to establish the rule of law. Equally important were cooperating with the International Criminal Tribunal, promote ethnic tolerance and building regional cooperation. “NATO is committed to helping achieve the goal of a more secure, a more prosperous and more integrated Western Balkans. We will stay for as long as we are needed,” he said underlining the Alliance’s commitment to region. Following the Summit, the Secretary General attended a session of the World Economic Forum taking place in Amman, Jordan, on 22 June.