Speech to North Atlantic Council, NATO Summit 2009

(Basis for the Prime Minister's speech).

 

Secretary General,
Heads of State and Government,

I join my colleagues in welcoming Albania and Croatia as new members of the Alliance.

A warm welcome also to France, which has now decided to fully reintegrate into NATO’s military structures.

As we mark the 60th Anniversary, we still need a NATO which is strong, which is relevant, which is able to adapt to changing times and challenges.

Afghanistan continues to be our most pressing challenge. I welcome the present review of international efforts. The Hague Conference reflects the need for a broad and comprehensive approach. Our approach should focus on the following priorities.

We must enable Afghanistan to take responsibility for its own security. The Afghan Army and Police must be strengthened. That will form an important part of our exit strategy.

I am therefore pleased to announce that Norway will contribute 20 million US dollars to the Afghan Army through the expanded NATO Trust Fund. We will furthermore contribute 10 million US dollars to the Police through the Law and Order Trust Fund. And 12 million US dollars in support of Afghan elections.

We must secure Afghan ownership to the country’s own future.

With ownership come responsibilities and obligations. A new, elected government will be judged on its ability to provide good governance, justice and welfare to the people.

The recently proposed legislation on women's rights sends a wrong signal. This is in contradiction to the very values we are fighting for in Afghanistan. It undermines the public support in our countries and we must all impress on the Afghan authorities the importance of equality and women's rights.

We need a better organised and focused civilian effort. Norway is committed to contribute 120 million US dollars annually to this effort.

I welcome the US administration’s emphasis on the importance of the civilian tasks before us. We should all do more to support the coordinating role of the UN under Kai Eide’s capable leadership. And we must all be willing to be coordinated.

And lastly, Afghanistan’s neighbours must all play a role. The regional dimension is key to an inclusive and comprehensive approach.

I welcome the decision reflected in the Declaration on Alliance Security to start working on a new strategic concept.

NATO remains the cornerstone of transatlantic security. We have a commitment in Afghanistan, but we must also respond effectively to security challenges on our own territory. We must demonstrate that the Alliance remains relevant to our peoples. This is important in order to secure public support for NATO and for NATO’s operations.

Disarmament should be a crucial element of the strategic posture of the Alliance. We must secure a positive outcome of the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) next year.

We must make sure that the Alliance has the capabilities and structures it needs to adapt to future challenges. Transforming our command structure is key to meet our operational demands. So is Headquarter reform. We strongly support the Secretary General’s proposal for a more effective way of doing business.

Finally, we need to engage with Russia. Whenever we disagree, we must seek solutions together. Where we have common interests, we must cooperate.

Let us make full use of the NATO-Russia Council for an open and frank dialogue.

Thank you.