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Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

50 years ago, North America and Europe launched an ambitious project: an Atlantic community of nations, a security community that would tie two continents permanently together. It was a bold move, and it was far from uncontested at the time. But, as President Truman put it on the eve of the signing of the Washington Treaty, "great problems call for great decisions".

"Great problems call for great decisions": I believe that no single sentence better encapsulates the essence of this Alliance. For 50 years our Atlantic community has stood firm in the face of challenges which at times seemed insurmountable. We stood firm because we believed in what this Alliance has always exemplified: vision, but also pragmatism; common values, but also common interests. And if there was any need for a reaffirmation of these common bonds, then events of recent months have given us that reaffirmation. NATO stood firm in the face of aggression and gross violations of human rights. In so doing, the Atlantic Alliance has demonstrated not only that it is based on common values, but that it is also ready to defend those values when they are threatened.

We were able to defend our values because we could rely on military forces of immense dedication and of the highest professional standards. It has always been the hallmark of NATO that we back our political commitment not just with words, but by concrete military facts. NATO is an organisation in which our commitment to each other is ever present and visible -- and this is what continues to make our Alliance so unique and so attractive.

The superb professionalism shown by Allied military forces throughout the Kosovo crisis was key to our success. It made Belgrade accept the demands of the international community. It created the conditions that allowed more than a million refugees to return home. And today, through KFOR, Allied and Partner forces are creating the basis for lasting peace and reconciliation. These men and women are putting their own lives on the line to give others a chance to start a new life in peace and dignity.

Excellences,
Mesdames et Messieurs,

Par cette pierre commémorative, nous rendons hommage à nos militaires, mais aussi aux personnels civils de l'OTAN, qui ont toujours répondu avec le plus grand professionnalisme à nos demandes. Nous continuerons à compter sur eux. Cette pierre est un hommage au dévouement, au professionnalisme et surtout à l'unité de notre Alliance.

Cette unité sera notre atout stratégique capital face aux défis du prochain siècle, où nous aurons de nouvelles missions, de nouveaux membres et des partenariats toujours plus forts. A nouveau, comme par le passé, certains de ces défis pourront nous sembler insurmontables. Mais nous avons de bonnes raisons de rester optimistes. Si les grands problèmes appellent de grandes décisions, nous avons su prendre ces décisions. C'est pourquoi les pères fondateurs de notre Alliance seraient fiers de voir aujourd'hui l'évolution de celle--ci. C'est la raison pour laquelle notre Alliance reste notre meilleur espoir pour l'avenir.

Merci.