The Prime Minister’s introduction to the press after meeting with NATO’s Secretary General

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God morgen, alle sammen,

Det høver seg å ønske velkommen på norsk til generalsekretæren i NATO, til Jens Stoltenberg, som er på besøk i Norge og det har vi glede av – å få snakket med generalsekretæren om alle de temaene som er viktige for oss. Men det er også kutyme å holde denne innledningen på engelsk, siden vi har generalsekretæren fra Alliansen her.

It is an honour for me, on behalf of the Norwegian government, to receive the Secretary General and to discuss important issues, and also to thank Jens Stoltenberg for 10 years of extraordinary service as NATO’s Secretary General over the past decade.

When he left Norway, we thought it would be four years, so it ended up being 10. It tells something about how the geopolitical circumstances have changed, but also of Jens Stoltenberg's ability to respond to that, and the trust that the members have taken in him. He has expertly maneuvered the Alliance through rough waters, all the while making sure that NATO has stayed relevant and true to the core values that it is set to defend.

He is leaving a NATO that is stronger, more updated, and more ready to face the challenges and secure its members than when he started.

A few highlights; three of them I'd like to mention: We have, under Jens Stoltenberg's leadership, strengthened collective defense and increased burden-sharing. Now, 23 out of 32 allies have reached the 2% target of GDP on defense. Norway is among them. It is not long ago when Norway was not at 2% and did not have a plan to get to 2%. We got a plan and we have bypassed 2%, and we are now on the same side on that limit.

The other element is NATO's open door policy. Four countries have joined NATO under your leadership, Jens. And for the first time, historically, all five Nordic countries are NATO members and aspire to be part of the same NATO command.

And lastly, you have contributed to strengthen the transatlantic bonds. That is the essence of the Alliance; a strong bond between America, Canada, and Europe. And I have highlighted during your visit here your address to the American Congress. I think it's the first time a leader of an international organization had that privilege. And your message then was that “it is good to have friends”. I think it was an important message back then. It was also still an important testimony to NATO's Summit in Washington DC. It was a proof that it is a strong alliance.

As Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg has contributed to credible deterrence and collective defense of allied countries. So, in your words, in a more dangerous world, we have a stronger NATO and that makes us all secure. So, thank you for coming by Norway on a short visit. In a few weeks, you will come here on a more permanent basis. We look forward to that. So, thank you for your remarkable service.