Photo: REGIERUNGonline/Kugler
Family photo
NATO is adapting to new challenges.
At their annual summit, the heads of state and government of NATO
member states, meeting in Lisbon, adopted a new Strategic Concept.
Along with Russia, the NATO member states intend to put in place a
missile defence system.
The new Strategic Concept is to
replace the one currently in use that dates back to 1999, and is to
take into account security developments in the intervening period.
The Alliance faces new challenges in the form of international
terrorism, cyber attacks, energy security issues, and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Experience gained in
operations such as Kosovo and Afghanistan too are to be
incorporated, as is the concept of networked security.
Photo: REGIERUNGonline/Kugler Nicolas
Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and Guido
Westerwelle"NATO is moving into
the 21st century," stressed Chancellor Angela Merkel, "both in
terms of the analysis of the existing threats and the responses of
the Alliance to these threats."
The 28 member states realise that they must find common
responses to the new threats. This is also reflected in the missile
defence system, said Angela Merkel, who was accompanied by Federal
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Federal Defence Minister
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. The common analysis of threats with
Russia and the talks about cooperating on a missile defence system
demonstrate that, "the Cold War is finally over".