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Excellencies, distinguished guests, Madam Albright, I must say that we all have had a long but productive day.
The views and ideas we heard today simply point to the importance we all attach to the new strategic concept and its future role. I think that new strategic concept is important, especially for us young members, because it’s the first time that we contribute to something that is strategic concept of NATO. All other concepts were done by other members. The current process of shaping a new strategic concept is ongoing in a truly globalized world and in time of extremely harsh economic conditions.
The general publics in our own countries and across the globe expect the new strategic concept to provide a clear vision about NATO’s future strategic direction, how it will address multiple security challenges and threats, and how it will seek to develop its partnerships and relations with other nations and international organizations. New concept is an indispensable element of NATO’s strategic adaptation, where the process as a means of building support and understanding across numerous constituencies is as important as the final result, and what us young members have learned today and it is usually used to express what our military part of the NATO should do in operations and its sustainability, I must say that what we have learned is to be sustainable in our efforts to add to the new strategic concept, and what we would like to add, what are actually our messages and even expectations, one of these expectations in the future document is that we would like to see a kind of balance between the out-of-area operations and protection of the homeland. Much of the 99 strategic concept remains relevant today still. Collective defence is bedrock of this great alliance, but sometimes we should be prepared to act in a selective way to the threats arising away from our homelands. That should depend on the clear threat assessment, available capabilities, and lack of other international players under willingness to deal with the challenge.
The document should also address the development of capabilities specified as required in the strategy by both NATO collectively and nations individually. Most of the defence budgets are almost in a free fall, and we must open the areas for cooperation in strengthening military capability development. We must also ensure the flexibility of our defence systems and connected capabilities, since if there is a lesson from the past operations, which we cannot choose to ignore, is that the future challenges are almost always unpredictable. Are we ready to meet this unpredictability by clear formats and clear mandates? Apart from that and also on top of multiple lessons learned, strengthening the civil military component is critical, and it is… it must receive adequate attention. We cannot continue to compete with other partners. We cannot continue to compete with European Union. There was plenty of talk about cooperation, but we have not really done much in terms of working together at the strategic level with other organizations. Another topic that I wish to emphasize is that enlargement is the best interest of the alliance and our doors have to remain open. There is the area to the south where this grand project remains unfinished. Of course we need to maintain rigorous standards for any potential future beneficiaries of collective security. However, we should also do our best to facilitate the spread of our values and applicants’ ability to meet our standards. Allow me just a few sentences about Afghanistan. The successful execution of the alliance’s objectives in Afghanistan depends first and foremost on strong public support in NATO nations.
We need to do more in explaining why these efforts matter back home and what more is needed to succeed. All of us benefit from defeating terrorism and greater stability in this region. We have to do better in showing how we add value to the efforts of the international community and how indispensable our role is in protecting the security, stability and ensuring conditions for long-term development of the country. Regarding Western Balkans, Kosovo in particular, I feel I have to once again emphasize that alliance’s presence is crucial for maintaining security and to help build democratic, multiethnic and efficient local security structures. Our past and future efforts in the Western Balkans, with emphasis on the open-door policy and clear Euro-Atlantic perspective for the countries that still remain outside, is something we cannot afford to miss in the document. Russia remains a strategic partner in assuring stability and its security in Euro-Atlantic area. We have no intention of bending when it comes to our core principles, but our differences should not and cannot prevent us from building a strong practical relationship based on mutual respect and common challenges we face. Let me finish with a reference to managing public expectations, something that is important for public diplomacy division.
The stakes of putting together a document of such importance in such a visible way creates huge public expectations. We must be unambiguous about our future role of a prominent security provider despite the fact that publics fail to see a clear and present danger to our borders in term of a traditional form of aggression. We all know that the later is not necessarily a thing of the past and that current threats are just less tangible and obvious to spot. Provisions put down in the Washington Treaty were clear and were agreed upon to protect the security of every ally. The practical implementation of this provision today is certainly a more varied task that it was but no less important for our security and well-being.
Ladies and gentlemen, Slovenia is indeed honoured to host the second seminar of NATO’s new strategic concept and shares ambitious expectations about it.
I’m very pleased you had a productive discussion here, and I wish you all success on this pass also in the future. We are still waiting on two… two more seminars, and we are waiting. We are in the process of the document at the end. I would like to thank you for your participation. I wish you safe journey back to your capitals. I would like to thank Roosy (sp) for help us in comprehensive approach to all of you having you here and to debate in very different ways, and I would like to thank all young colleagues especially from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from Ministry of Defence who helped us to make this seminar operational and I hope successful till very end.
Thank you very much. United we are stronger. Thank you.