NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s 2008 Spring Session
Berlin, 27 May 2008
Distinguished Members of Parliament — Dear friends,
I am very happy to appear before your Assembly again. And I am especially pleased to be able to do so in Berlin — a city which stood for the success of transatlantic cohesion for over four decades, and which then became a symbol for the growing unity of this continent.
From the beginning of my tenure as NATO Secretary General, I have emphasised the important role of parliamentarians, and of this Assembly, in defining, resourcing and explaining NATO policy. In the wake of our recent Bucharest Summit, and looking ahead to our 60th Anniversary Summit in Strasbourg and Kehl next year, that role is more important than ever. And so what I wish to do this morning is to identify a number of key issues on our post-Bucharest agenda. I want to appeal for your continued support on those issues. But I also want to say a few words about the longer-term evolution of our Alliance, and the need for you to be engaged in that as well.
You are all aware of the major decisions that were taken at Bucharest. We invited Albania and Croatia to begin accession talks, and agreed that Ukraine and Georgia will one day become members of NATO too. We underlined the Alliance’s long-term commitment to Afghanistan and the importance of working closely with all the nations and international organisations supporting progress there. We also stressed NATO’s commitment to its KFOR mission in Kosovo. We held a constructive discussion with the Russian President on how the Alliance and Russia can work together to address security challenges. And we gave further impetus to ongoing efforts to transform the Alliance to meet operational demands and emerging security threats, including by issuing a unified statement on missile defence.
Major decisions on issues that are vital to the security of all our nations, to be sure. But of course, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. Nice words in a Summit statement do not add up to a coherent programme – they will need to be implemented. In order to do that successfully, we are going to need your help. And so let me set out four broad areas where that help will be particularly important.
First, NATO enlargement. The Accession Talks with our two invitees, Albania and Croatia, are proceeding well. The aim is for Protocols of Accession to be signed by the 9th of July, and I sincerely hope the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia[1] can still be brought on board before that time as well, if ongoing negotiations over its name can be concluded. The next step then will be to complete the ratification process without delay. I appeal to members of parliament of the current members of the Alliance to give their full backing to a swift ratification process. I urge parliamentarians from our invitees to continue to encourage the necessary reforms in their countries, before and after accession, to enhance their contribution to the Alliance. But I also call upon members of parliament of our member states to reflect upon the longer-term practical and especially financial implications of an Alliance with not only more members but also more responsibilities. I believe that, under those circumstances, one can wonder if a zero-real growth budget is still realistic.
We agreed in Bucharest that Georgia and Ukraine will become members of NATO. We also agreed to begin a period of intensive engagement at a high political level with both these countries to address the questions still outstanding pertaining to their MAP applications. And in your national parliaments and through your work in this Assembly, you can support that intensive engagement. It is important that both Ukraine and Georgia demonstrate democratic maturity and stay on the reform track. We are obviously keeping a particularly close eye on Georgia and its relations with Russia, and will continue to urge moderation and respect for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. I will lead visits by the North Atlantic Council to Ukraine next month and to Georgia in September, when we will discuss all relevant issues. NATO Foreign Ministers will then make a first assessment of the progress made by each of the two countries when they meet in Brussels in December.
I also count on your continued support for our efforts to consolidate the Western Balkans. At Bucharest, we invited Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to begin an Intensified Dialogue with NATO. We also reiterated our willingness to deepen cooperation with Serbia, through the development of an Individual Partnership Action Plan, and an Intensified Dialogue if Serbia so requests. I am hopeful that, following the recent elections, Serbia will indeed stay on the path of Euro-Atlantic integration. If so, NATO will be there to help. And so must our Parliaments.
Serbia’s attitude vis-à-vis Kosovo will be a major indicator of its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The NATO-led forces have done a splendid job these past few months to help maintain order following Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The Alliance will continue to do its part on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. But we also need further strong engagement by the Kosovars themselves, as well as by the UN, the EU and other international actors, to support the development of a stable, democratic, multi-ethnic and peaceful Kosovo. Ahead of the entry into force of Kosovo’s constitution next month, it is important that there are transparent arrangements between the EU and UNMIK in the field of policing. And I call on you to support such a stronger, more concerted effort by all our major institutions.
Second: Afghanistan remains a key issue on our post-Bucharest agenda. In Bucharest, together with our partners in ISAF, we issued a Strategic Vision for Afghanistan, supported by an Internal Political-Military Plan that sets out clear benchmarks to enable a more focused effort. And our Defence Ministers will make a first assessment of progress against these benchmarks when they meet in Brussels in two weeks from now. We have underlined our own long-term commitment to Afghanistan – including through the announcement of new force commitments and other forms of support by several Allies and partners, which I hope you will also endorse. But we have also made clear our determination to continue to empower the Afghans to look after their own security as soon as possible. We want to see a greater effort by the Afghan authorities to clamp down on corruption, crime and the narcotics problem. We will help where we can. Our training of the Afghan National Army has started to show concrete results, and we must pursue that effort. But it is clear that a greater civilian assistance effort is equally critical to Afghanistan’s future.
NATO has long advocated a “Comprehensive Approach” to Afghanistan and other security challenges that brings together civil and military efforts. In Bucharest we were joined by our ISAF partners, the Afghan President, the UN Secretary General, the EU Commission President, the EU High Representative, the Managing Director of the World Bank, and Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister. It was an excellent meeting which I hope will lead to a more concerted international effort, an enhanced coordinating role by the UN, greater Afghan ownership, and a stronger emphasis on civilian efforts. I am happy to see Kai Eide as a chief coordinator of our joint international efforts in Afghanistan. It is also important for Afghanistan’s neighbours to be involved in a constructive manner, and especially for Pakistan to prevent spill over across its border with Afghanistan. I will stress all those points at the Afghanistan conference in Paris next month. My appeal to you here today is to continue to support not only the NATO-led ISAF mission, but also the gradual rebalancing in the international community’s overall involvement, and to explain and build support for it among our publics.
The mammoth aid task in Myanmar
May 27, 2008
World Food Programme says 750,000 people in Myanmar are at risk unless they get food and other assistance soon.
The Red Cross says although Myanmar has relaxed restrictions on foreign aid workers entering the country to help cyclone victims not enough has happened to avoid a further deterioration in the situation. Separately, dissidents protested outside the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, calling for more aid. More 134,000 people were killed and one million left homeless after the cyclone swept through the Irrawaddy delta.
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=83344&refresh=true
video news from reuters
A small science probe landed successfully on Mars to search for water and assess conditions for life.
May 27, 2008
A small science probe landed successfully on Mars to search for water and assess conditions for life.
A sharp-eyed Mars orbiter snapped an image of the probe Phoenix descending through Martian skies.
http://www.reuters.com/news/video
video news from reuters
Sexual abuse of children by aid workers and peacekeepers is rife and efforts to protect young people are inadequate, said a report published on Tuesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2614616020080527
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=83350&refresh=true
video news also from reuters about te topics exposed
New aftershocks bring terror to quake-hit China
May 27, 2008
New aftershocks toppled 420,000 houses and injured dozens in southwest China on Tuesday, heaping destruction and fear on a region struggling to recover from the country’s worst earthquake in decades.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSWRI74404620080527
For those Western critics that say Islam does not enough to to condemn terrorism, perhaps they should look at India, home to one of the world’s biggest Muslim populations — around 13 percent of mainly Hindu India’s 1.1 billion people.
On Wednesday, it was the turn of Khalid Rasheed, head of the oldest madrasa in the northern city of Lucknow — a traditional centre for Muslims and religious scholarship. He rejected terrorism as anti-Islamic after he and his colleagues had been accused of apostasy over their pacifist stance by at group that calls itself the Indian Mujahideen.
Bursa F.P. de 1000 de euro
May 22, 2008
Revista Foreign Policy ofera o bursa celor ce sunt preocupati de ce se intampla pe glob, pentru a te inscrie trebuie sa trimiti o lucrare de 300 de cuvinte maxim, la adresa redactiei sau la urmatoarea adresa de mail:scrisori@foreignpolicy.ro/Str.Fabrica de Glucoza nr.21,sec.2 ,Bucuresti.Subiectele despre care se poate scrie sunt Dosarul Rusia si Argumentul despre Cuba.
Astept intrebari pentru nelamuriri sau lipsa de creativitate vizavi de topics
va doresc succes !
By Burca Alice Larisa
Hi Anca ,Welcome!
May 22, 2008
i am gled that you joined us, fell free to epress youre self about our topics and even more,beacuse we complet and learn from eachother.
about the debate proposition, i am waiting a strong topics from you.
Burca Alice Larisa
thanks all for commenting again!
May 21, 2008
i am gona end this evening, enjoyed youre company in this debate and can;t wait for the next.
remeber
WHAT”S LIFE WITHOUT FUN AND NATURE!
mihaela draga mea!
May 21, 2008
eu am renuntat la masina de mult, chit ca as putea avea acces la ea relativ usor,in primul rand barilul e 130 de usd, ceea ce m-ar face sa merg doar cu metroul ca wiennezi 
)),cu ocazia asta ii felicit pentru ideea de a dezv o linie de metrou pt campionatul de fotbal ce duce direct la stadion, asa evita glomeratia deranjanta.Bravo !
trebuie sa stim clar care ne sunt prioritatile in viata, sa nu mai fim egoisti si sa ne gandim si la urmatoarele genratii,si cred ca ar fi mai bine ca parinte sa oferim minimum respect si o natura infloritaore decat , bani , lipsa de educatie si o scoala de business si tupeu, ca intradevar a inebunit lumea cu business-ul.
Am fost la o lansare de carte de psihologie ,cum citesti un om dupa limbajul nonverbal, spre stupoarea mea, mai bine de jumate de acolo, erau agenti de vanzari, sau economisti,nimeni din pr, sau sociologie si apoi ceva 3 studenti de la psihologie.Am intrebat de ce inclinatia atat de mare asupra cartilor de genul, mi-au rasp :asa poti manipula si specula mai bine, prinzi omul in offside si ii recunosti slabiciunile.
In primul rand nu inveti mai nimik concret dintr-o simpla carte ,scrisa si unpic comercial,ci doar faci si tu ce rec respectivii in mare,iar apoi de ce tindem atat de mult spre agresivitate?si de ce cunoastrea se bazeaza atat de mult pe meschin?unde a ramas normalitatea armonioasa de a contrui orice fel de realtie?
ofera daca vrei sa primesti , chit ca ceea ce oferi e fals fondat , cum ar fi intr-o rel de vanzari,dar nu o fa agresiv si la un nivel asa zis destept , fiindca defapt e doar frustrant de lipsit de putere intelectuale,haideti sa nu ne mai dorim sa manipulam conversatia sau ami rau persoana, ci sa o dorim realmente natural, dar multi nu stiu ce insemna natural sau mai tragic nu il au cum oferii fiindca nu il cunosc:(
Burca Alice Larisa
