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Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very happy to be present this evening among so many old friends and distinguished personalities brought together by the Atlantic Council to award a NATO Prize for Excellence in Writing to a representative of the younger generation.
Yet before I do so, let me use this opportunity to say a few words of farewell to Senator Nunn for this dinner is in his honour and I may add, rightly so. For Senator Nunn has been a guiding spirit of our Alliance for the past three decades. Thanks to his unstinting efforts and those of his generation, these young essay contest winners, which we also honour, live in a period of unprecedented security for our Western democracies. They have the chance to fulfil the vision that the Alliance has stood for - peace in a world bound together by common Atlantic values.
Senator Nunn is retiring from the Senate after a long and distinguished career. Much of that career has been taken with internatioanl affairs and, in particular, by an abiding belief in the need for a strong, vibrant atlantic alliance. So strong was this belief that Senator Nunn could be, on occasion, one of NATO's foremost critics as well as one of its most ardent supporters. No history of NATO could fail to mention the dozens of "Nunn amendments" which over the years have drawn attention to NATO's key challenges and called for an urgent response.
None of us can forget his initiatives in the 70s and 80s to improve our conventional defence posture and have Europe play a larger role. Senator Nunn was one of the founders of the European Security and Defence Identity which finally today is becoming a reality within the Alliance. Yet his criticism was also tempered by loyalty. At each crucial vote and in the Senate, when the future of NATO was at stake, Senator Nunn was at the centre making the arguments and rallying the support that allowed this great Alliance to evolve; to change and to move towards the future. For this contribution we must be forever in your debt. His internationalist perspective and his outstanding expertise will be sorely missed. Senator Nunn, I hope that no matter what the future has in store for you, we will still be able to count on your experience and strategic vision.
Senator Nunn has always been aware that we can never take the transatlantic link for granted, and that it needs to be nourished, reaffirmed, and adapted constantly. This is impossible if both sides of the Atlantic do not communicate with each other frequently. Senator Nunn was an ardent promoter of exchanges between the US Congress and parliaments of the European NATO member states. In the past few days I have been saddened to read reports that these contacts between opinion leaders here in Washington and in Europe are becoming less frequent - despite the fact that we need to talk to each other more, not less, and have so many more important issues on our transatlantic security agenda. So I urge every one here this evening to maintain these contacts across the ocean that have served us so well. I will do my utmost to come here often and promote close ties between NATO and the new Congress.
NATO's fundamental value and importance need to be passed on to those generations that follow - generations that may not necessarily view the transatlantic link - or NATO - as a value in itself. They will ask many good questions, and they deserve good answers.
I believe firmly that getting NATO's message across, clearly and concisely, should be a high priority. We are changing, and our publics need to understand how and why, if we are to retain their respect and support. At NATO, we are making additional efforts, but we can only succeed with the support of people like those here this evening who have such a wealth of experience and expertise and who are in daily contact with American society.
For 35 years now the Atlantic Council has been a major source of providing good answers. It has been a forum for discussion as well as a source of advice - advice which has always been sound as well as eloquently presented. In this sense, I am most pleased that the Atlantic Council has decided to inaugurate this NATO Prize for Excellence in Writing. It is part of the Atlantic Council's long and fine tradition of encouraging cogent analysis and clarity of expression. And I am happy to say that John Lis' winning essay on NATO's enlargement is indeed an excellent choice: it is concise, well-articulated, and makes its points forcefully. It is an encouraging sign that interest in the Alliance remains very much alive among the younger generation of students.
John, I congratulate you on your winning essay and I am proud to present you with this Award. I hope you take this as an inspiration to continue your interest in NATO and develop your ideas in articles and publications that we all look forward to reading in the future. I wish you and your wife, Jennifer, all the best and much enjoyment of your prize.