Secretary General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen,
My colleague, Guido Westerwelle,
Ministers,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me say how delighted I am to welcome you to today. I
would like to express particular thanks to our joint hosts,
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Foreign Minister Guido
Westerwelle.
Originally, the agenda for this year’s spring meeting
included the implementation of the decisions taken at the Lisbon
Summit and the situation in , alongside other important issues.
They were our reasons for meeting in today. Then though, it was
developments in the Arab world, most especially in , which took
centre-stage. I therefore turn directly to that subject.
On 17 March, the United Nations Security Council
adopted Resolution 1973. That Resolution calls for an
immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence in . It is an
expression of how determined the international community is to put
an end to Gaddafi’s war against his own people. This determination
was underlined in on 19 March, at an emergency summit of the
international community instigated by . Yesterday’s Contact Group
meeting in again gave it particular expression. Because we are
united by precisely this determination, I can say that we all share
the aims of Resolution 1973. We share these aims
unconditionally, independently of how we each cast our vote. The
Resolution stands. The international community stands
united.
We are all contributing in many ways to the successful
implementation of this Resolution – making military and
non-military contributions. This is the background to our
discussion of an EU operation to take over responsibility for
supporting deliveries of humanitarian aid, as and when this is
requested by the United Nations and all details have been
clarified. I cannot preempt the results of those negotiations,
nor would I wish to. What we must and shall have in the end –
and this is vital – is a political solution for , a political
solution which sees the Libyan people gain the freedom and dignity
which the Gaddafi regime denies them.
It will therefore be important also to provide political
support to the new political forces, perhaps through our political
foundations or by sharing our experiences in connection to
elections procedure. We need to provide economic assistance
throughout the region. Companies should invest, create jobs and
help train the region’s youth. After all, we cannot have people
leaving their native countries because they think they have no
economic prospects at home, just at a time when their countries
urgently need them to participate in a fresh start in politics and
the launching of democracy.
I would wish for all these issues pertaining to the
implementation of Resolution 1973 on ’s future to be discussed
at this conference; I would also wish for all the issues arising
throughout the Arab region to be brought towards resolution in a
broad political discussion with all concerned.
Ladies and gentlemen, the backdrop to this discussion is
formed by the far-reaching decisions we made at the Lisbon Summit
only a few months ago.
Firstly, we succeeded in in laying new foundations for the
by adopting the new Strategic Concept. The new Concept takes
account not only of collective defence as still the Alliance’s core
function but also of the radical changes in the security
environment in which it operates. At issue here are crisis
management and the consistent implementation of our networked and
comprehensive security approach, as well as such new challenges as
cyber security and energy security.
Another success in was setting the direction for our future
engagement in together with our Afghan partners. Successfully
carrying out the process of responsible handover is crucial to the
success of the mission and the future of.
Thirdly, in response to new threats, we decided in on a NATO
missile defence system, which we intend to construct in the closest
possible cooperation with our Russian partners.
We are an alliance, facing the security challenges of our
times not alone but in concert with a host of partners. This
applies for instance to disarmament and arms control, with an
important role being played by the review now underway of NATO’s
deterrence posture. It also applies most particularly to the new
global challenges: cyber security, the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction, piracy and terrorism.
Ladies and gentlemen, this reception today is taking place
in , in the city where the Wall fell more than 21 years ago.
The Wall was an inhumane division through this city. It divided
families. It divided a country. As the Iron Curtain, it split a
whole continent in two. Only a few metres from where we are stands
the Brandenburg Gate. The Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin
Wall – during the Cold War, they were symbols of a divided and
a divided . Today, the Brandenburg Gate symbolizes unity and
freedom on our continent. The reception therefore cannot come to a
close without a reminder of the essential contribution that NATO’s
steadfast conduct made to bringing down the Wall and enabling
freedom to triumph.
More than 20 years have passed since experienced those
historic changes. Today, we are again witnessing a turning point in
history, this time in the Arab world. Historically speaking, we
cannot compare the development of events in the two situations one
to one. But one thing that was true then in Europe remains just as
true today, from to , from to : what drives people is our yearning
for freedom, for human dignity, for self-determination. The power
of liberty is stronger than any repressive force. Twenty-one years
ago, I learned that first-hand.
In the two decades and more since the Cold War ended, our
world has come a long way – as has, in particular measure, our
. For all the political developments which have occurred, however,
one thing has not changed. NATO is the strongest anchor of our
security and the framework within which our close transatlantic
community of values flourishes, and it will remain so in the
21st century. It is out of conviction that we share
joint responsibility around the world – look at the Balkans;
look at .
I therefore wish you good, constructive discussions for the
remainder of this conference, in the spirit of the Latin phrase
which adorns the wall behind the round table at NATO headquarters
in : "Animus in consulendo liber”. Roughly translated, here sit
free minds in council. On that note – I wish you great
success. Thank you.
Bundesregierung
Speech by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel at the reception held on 14 April 2011 during the Spring Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign AffairsThu,
14.04.2011
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