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NATO's Parlamentariske Forsamling 2014-15 (1. samling)
NPA Alm.del Bilag 2
Offentligt

NATO: a unique Alliance with a

clear course

Speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the

German Marshall Fund, Brussels

Last updated: 28 Oct. 2014 10:30

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you very much for that warm welcome. And thank you Karen for those kind

words. And for coming over to host me in person. Karen – like me – you just started a

new and challenging job. I wish you all the best in your new position. I look forward to

working with you on many future occasions. I am really glad that my first public

speech as Secretary General of NATO is hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the

United States - another truly transatlantic organisation.

I know that I come into this job at a critical time. When we see national borders and

international rules challenged by force. And turmoil in our neighbourhood. To the

east, Russia's actions in Ukraine are in breach of international law. They have severely

damaged trust. And they pose a major challenge to Euro-Atlantic security. To the

south, borders are disappearing. States are fragile. ISIL, and other extremist groups

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across North Africa and the Middle East, are spreading violence and instability. And

they risk exporting terrorism to our streets. These threats come on top of others.

Missile proliferation, energy disruption, and cyber attacks. Not long ago, we used to

refer to these threats as emerging. But they have well and truly emerged. And they

are now part and parcel of our security environment. We can, and we must, rise to the

challenge.

I grew up in a world that felt at the time as dangerous as the world we live in today. As

a child in Norway during the Cold War, I didn’t know much about Article 5 or the

Washington Treaty. But I did know that NATO was there to protect us. I felt safe,

because of NATO. Later as a young conscript in the Norwegian Army, we were trained

to hold out. In the secure knowledge that our Allies would quickly come to our rescue.

We knew that Norway could not make it alone. But we also knew that we were not

alone. Through NATO, we enjoyed a level of protection that only a transatlantic

Alliance of democracies could provide. Today, I see it as my duty to ensure that

current and future generations feel as safe and secure as I did back then. Security is

the foundation for our freedom and our open societies; for our prosperity; and for

our ability to address other great challenges of our time – such as poverty and climate

change. If we lose our security, we lose so much more. The nature of the challenges to

our security may change. But the answer remains the same: working together in a

strong NATO. This is a winning combination. Over the past 65 years, it has helped us

to weather many storms. It will get us through these current turbulent times. And

those we will face in the future.

Our NATO Summit in Wales last month set out a clear course. That makes my job both

easy - and hard. Easy, because we know what to do. And hard, because we still have

much to do. And time is short. At the Wales Summit we took key decisions. I am

determined to translate those decisions into lasting results ahead of our next Summit

in Warsaw in 2016. I have set out three priorities.

First,

we must keep NATO strong. Strong as a political Alliance. And strong as a military

Alliance. This starts with solidarity and resolve. We are an Alliance of democracies. We

may not always agree at first. But by debating, consulting and working together, we

arrive at firm decisions. And together, we act on those decisions. This is the strength

of our Alliance. To stay strong we must preserve and strengthen collective defence.

The pledge to defend each other - Article 5 of our founding treaty - remains the

bedrock of NATO. It is the basis for everything we do.This is why the implementation

of the Readiness Action Plan we agreed at the Wales Summit is key. This is the biggest

reinforcement of our collective defence since the end of the Cold War. We are making

our forces more agile. And able to deploy quickly whenever threats emerge. From any

direction. We are also maintaining a continuous NATO presence in the Eastern part of

our Alliance, on a rotational basis. To reassure our Allies. And to deter anyone who

might wish to challenge us. In recent months, the number of NATO jets in the skies

over our Eastern Allies has increased five times.We have deployed more ships in the

Baltic and the Black Sea. And this year, we are conducting over 200 NATO and national

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exercises in Europe. A new exercise kicks off every two days. These assurance

measures are just the start. We are also setting up a rapid reaction “Spearhead Force”.

I expect Defence Ministers to approve the size and design of the force when we meet

in February. We are also putting in place elements of a robust command and control

structure on the territory of our Eastern Allies. And pre-positioning equipment and

supplies. So that we can reinforce rapidly, if we need to. During my first weeks in

office I have visited both Poland and Turkey. In different ways these Allies exemplify

the challenges we face, both to the East and to the South. In Poland, I visited the Łask

airbase. And I met with pilots and air crews from across the Alliance. From the United

States and Canada, to Poland and Portugal. Working together as one. In Turkey, I saw

the Patriot batteries at Gaziantep. And I met troops from the United States, Germany,

and many other Allies. Helping to strengthen Turkey’s defence against missile attacks.

This is what collective defence is all about. Twenty-eight for twenty-eight. And this is

why we must implement the Readiness Action plan on time and in full. Of course this

will be a challenge. But NATO is used to meeting challenges. And this is the plan we

need - to deal with threats from wherever they may come. Whether they are

conventional or unconventional. Or hybrid threats, as we have seen in Ukraine.

This leads me to my

second

priority. To work with our partners to bring more stability

to our neighbourhood. Partnerships are one of NATO’s greatest success stories.

Enlargement is another. Our partners have worked with us to increase the space of

democracy and freedom in Europe. Twelve of them have actually become Allies. And

all partners have made important contributions to our operations. They have helped

to enhance international security and to defend the values on which our Alliance is

based. But today, Russia is trying to roll back the progress we have made in this

collective effort. And some of our partners are facing great pressures. We will

continue to support Ukraine and our other partners in our eastern neighbourhood.

And we will continue to uphold the principle that each country has the right to choose

its own path. This is fundamental. And we all subscribed to it. Including Russia. I

congratulate the people of Ukraine for exercising their right to vote in the

parliamentary elections on Sunday. Despite difficult conditions, these elections were

in line with international standards. The large majority of the people of Ukraine have

clearly and democratically spoken in favour of an ambitious reform agenda and a

European path. I strongly regret, however, that many Ukrainians were unable to

exercise their democratic right to vote. In Crimea, which Russia illegally and

illegitimately annexed. And in parts of Eastern Ukraine, where violence and

intimidation by Russian-backed separatists continues. NATO fully supports Ukraine’s

sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally

recognised borders. We call on Russia to end its destabilising actions in Ukraine, and

pull back its forces.

I am the first NATO Secretary General from a country that has a common border with

Russia. I remember visiting that border when it was completely closed. Back in the

days of the Soviet Union. When looking across was like staring into something dark

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and scary. Now there is a visa-free zone in its place. And hundreds of thousands of

people cross the border every year. To the benefit of both our countries . The

freedoms and prosperity that many Russians have enjoyed in recent years have come

from open borders like this. And from integration into the global rules-based order.

Russia is not just Norway’s neighbour. It is NATO’s biggest neighbour. And both NATO

and Russia are here to stay. So we simply cannot ignore each other. One way or the

other, we will have a relationship. The question is what kind. Norway’s experience as a

founding member of NATO is that a strong defence, based on a strong NATO, is the

foundation for a constructive relationship with Russia. It gave us the confidence to

work with Russia on a range of issues. From military matters to fisheries, energy and

the environment. We also signed a treaty to establish the maritime boundary between

our nations in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean.I believe there is a lesson here for

us now. That only a strong NATO can build a truly constructive and cooperative

relationship with Russia. In the past, we looked at each other with suspicion, relied on

deterrence, and talked to each other mainly to avoid dangerous misunderstandings

and escalation. And let’s face it, we can see echoes of that now. The other alternative

is a relationship based on mutual respect, not suspicion.On the rule of law, not the

law of the strongest. On common interest, not illusions. And NATO has invested a lot

in building such a relationship with Russia ever since the end of the Cold War. NATO

continues to aspire to a cooperative relationship with Russia. But to get there, Russia

would need to want it, and to take clear steps to make it possible It is precisely at this

time, when our relationship with Russia is the most difficult since the Cold War,that

we need to have greater transparency and predictability. And to make sure that crises

do not spiral out of control. Let me be clear. NATO does not seek confrontation with

Russia. And nobody wants a new Cold War, 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

But we cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which our Alliance and

the security of Europe and North America rest. This is my firm conviction.

Turning to the South, we see different threats. Many states are fragile. And extremism

is fuelling instability. But there is no choice between providing for our security in the

East or in the South. We have to do both. Our main responsibility is to defend and

protect our Allies. NATO has already taken an important step by deploying Patriot

batteries to our Ally Turkey. And by pushing ahead with our NATO missile defence

system. This sends a strong signal of solidarity. And a strong signal of deterrence.

Crisis and conflicts beyond NATO’s borders can pose a direct threat to our security. So

we will engage to prevent and manage crises. To stabilise post-conflict situations. And

to support reconstruction. And we must be prepared to use military force, when

necessary.We will also continue to develop our relations with international and

regional organisations. To revitalise and strengthen our political dialogue with partner

countries. And to step up our practical support. We stand ready to help Iraq to make

their forces and their defence institutions more effective. So that we strengthen local

forces that already have boots on the ground. And help them find local solutions. For

over a decade, NATO Allies and partner nations from across the world have stood

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shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan. We have sustained the largest coalition in

recent history.

And we have built up capable Afghan forces of 350,000 soldiers and police. They are

ready to assume full security responsibility as we complete our ISAF mission at the

end of this year.This unprecedented international effort has contributed to a better

future for Afghan men, women and children. And it has enhanced global security.

From January 1, we will launch a new and different mission to train, advise and assist

Afghan forces. But the security of Afghanistan and the country’s future will rest fully in

the hands of the Afghans. To keep NATO strong, and help keep our neighbourhood

stable, it is imperative that we keep the bond between Europe and North America

rock solid.

And this is my

third

priority. Allies on both sides of the Atlantic must play their full

part. North America needs a stronger Europe. And Europe needs continued strong

engagement by North America. We all need to invest in our Alliance politically and

financially. To make sure that NATO has the means to do the difficult jobs that it has

to do. And the political will to use those means, when necessary. At Wales, we agreed

to reverse the trend of declining defence budgets. And to aim to raise them over the

coming decade as our economies improve. As a former Prime Minister and Finance

Minister, I know how difficult this is. But I also know how important it is. And I know

that, with political will, it can be done . Because the primary role of any state is to

protect its citizens.I will engage personally with all NATO leaders to help us keep the

pledge we made at Wales. I also intend to work closely with the new leadership of the

European Union. I am encouraged that they too will seek closer engagement with

NATO. Because now, we need each other more than ever.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We face enormous challenges both in our Eastern and our Southern neighbourhoods.

People across the Alliance are understandably worried about their security. And their

security is NATO’s responsibility. We must be fully committed to doing collective

defence and crisis management both at the same time. We do not have the luxury to

choose our challenges. We must face them all. North America and Europe must

continue to stand together. To defend our common values. And to keep future

generations secure.

Thank you for your attention.