28 July 2003

Secretary General visits Iceland and the UN News 25/07/2003 Lord Robertson to visit Iceland and the United States NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson travelled to Iceland on 28 July for a farewell visit and then on to New York to take part in a United Nations meeting of regional organisations on 29 July. In Iceland, Lord Robertson met with Prime Minister David Oddson and Foreign Minister Halldor Asgrimsson. The visit is part of a farewell tour to NATO member and partner countries. Lord Robertson will be stepping down as NATO Secretary General at the end of this year. The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister briefed Lord Robertson on the ongoing discussions regarding the future of United States F-15 fighter jets currently deployed in Iceland. Speaking at a news conference following the meetings, Lord Robertson stated that NATO stands ready to mediate, but at this stage it is still a bilateral discussion between the United States and Iceland. In New York, Lord Robertson took part in a two-day meeting between the United Nations and regional organizations. Issues discussed included cooperation between international organizations in the fight against terrorism and Iraq. Lord Robertson called for greater involvement of international organisations in stabilizing Iraq, saying that lessons from the Balkans and Afghanistan show that cooperation between international bodies has “the maximum effect”.