10 July 2006

Spain committed to NATO’s Afghanistan mission News 07/07/2006 - NATO NATO Secretary General to visit Spain on 10 July 2006 Background NATO in Afghanistan Opinions 10/07/2006 - NATO “Projecting Stability” - Speech by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the “Fundacion para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Dialogo Exterior” (FRIDE) in Madrid, Spain NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer praised the Spanish government for its commitment to NATO’s Afghanistan mission during a visit to Madrid on 10 July. Mr. De Hoop Scheffer expressed his condolences for the death on 8 July of a Spanish soldier serving in the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, in an explosion which wounded four other Spanish soldiers. He said the Alliance remained fully committed to its “number one” priority and stressed the importance of the mission in the context of the fight against terrorism. “NATO’s objective is clear. Under a UN mandate, we support the Government of Afghanistan by assisting them to provide the necessary security so that reconstruction and development can take place,” the Secretary General said in a speech during the visit. Looking to Riga Mr. De Hoop Scheffer was in Madrid as part of a round of visits to NATO member countries ahead of the November NATO Summit in Riga, the capital of Latvia. He met with Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Defence Minister José Antonio Alonso to discuss the three “baskets” of the Summit agenda: NATO’s operations, its military transformation and major political issues, including partnerships and enlargement. The issues discussed included increasing so-called common funding for certain NATO Response Force operations and ensuring that the Force has the capabilities it needs to carry out its missions, including strategic airlift.