Your Excellences 
Colleagues
Dear friends

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to the Danish Parliament. On this exact day 75 years ago, the Washington-treaty was signed, and NATO was born. 

NATO has been the corner stone of the Kingdom of Denmark’s security ever since. And today, NATO provides security and freedom to almost one billion people in 32 nations. 

Let me take you back to a personal experience that was an eye opener for me in terms of showing the significance of NATO. 

During the Cold War, I served as a soldier. While being on board a helicopter flying close to the border of that time between West and East Berlin, I saw with my own eyes what NATO stands for. 

When I looked out of the window towards West Berlin, I could see streetlights, blinking billboards, and flashing car lights. When I looked out of the window towards East Berlin, everything was pitch dark. 

This was literally a helicopter perspective on the difference between democracy and dictatorship. Between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. 

Today, we once again clearly see the difference between democracy and dictatorship.. Once again, there is a war in Europe. Russia has unprovoked and illegally invaded Ukraine. 

NATO continues to be the guaranty for security and stability in Europe and North America. 75 years is no age for the alliance. NATO has never been stronger and more united. 

Today we celebrate three events. 

The 75 years anniversary for the establishment of NATO. And the two new members of the alliance. 

It is a great honor to welcome Finland and Sweden to the alliance. For the first time in many years all the Nordic countries are again united in the same alliance. It strengthens both NATO's military capacity and the ties between the Nordic countries.

I will now give the floor to the Ambassador of Finland, member number 31, and afterwards the ambassador of Sweden, member number 32. 
 
Thank you.