NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during Question and Answer session at the 65th Annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in London
Transcript
I will announce those called to ask questions in groups of three, so that you will be prepared. Anyone who would like to ask the Secretary General a question should let me know as soon as possible. As I explained in the standing committee it’s highly unlikely, that I will be able to call more than one member from each delegation, because of the limited time that we have. I’m now going to set a time limit of one minute for questions to ensure that as many delegations as possible can participate. The Secretary General has said that the list that we have, which is now closed. If we don’t get to those already on the list, he will respond in writing. And I think that’s a very generous offer. So, Secretary General we have three first questions from Richard Benyon from the U.K. Gerald Conley from the U.S. and then Miguel Angel Contreras from Spain. (rustling)
[Richard] Secretary General thank you for your kind words about the United Kingdom and welcome to London. Can I cheekily suggest two items that should be on the agenda for the NATO leaders meeting in December here in London. First, when you mentioned at the end there, not an issue that’s popular with constituents but one that I think is really important which is about the Jihadist fighters and the tragic circumstances sometimes around families and children of those in conflict zones. And it’s really important I believe that nations like us should take responsibility for the human detritus of conflict. And I really hope that this is an issue that is gonna be tackled because it has been highlighted under the circumstances in Northeast Syria. The second, is around Magnitsky Legislation we’ve had Bill Browder here talking to us about the ability to tackle those who do wrong and human rights abuses in through our legal system. (gavel pounds) And I hope that, that would be on the agenda.
Thank you, sorry I’m going to be strict with everybody, if I’m not we won’t get through the questions, Gerry.
[Gerald] Thank you Madame Chairman and welcome Mister Secretary General. We were delighted to have you before the United States Congress as the first Secretary General, to address. Real quickly would you address the internal as well as external challenge that faces the alliance. There’s back sliding in some quarters in terms of those shared values you mentioned that we certainly believe are a part of the alliance. What can NATO do to try to ensure that we are committed to those shared values and we don’t see erosion from within? Thank you.
Miguel.
[Miguel] Thank you Madame President and Secretary General I would like to speak in Spanish. (speaks in foreign language)
[Translator] Thank you Secretary General I would like to ask you a question at the parliamentary assembly. For a long time we have been working on the significant development for those countries in the E.U. that are in the southern borders of the E.U. That the challenge is, that countries south of the Mediterranean mean for us and the Atlantic Alliance? We’ve done our homework we’ve reached agreement with President Maulimonaset, with the African Union that is represented here, and today we will be reporting on the Mena Region situation I think the assembly has played it’s role. What role do, will the rest of the Atlantic Alliance be carrying out now and will you convey to the Atlantic Alliance whether you are going to highlight and give the necessary importance to this threat coming from the south to the Atlantic Alliance from Africa? Thank you very much.
Thank you so much I can start with the last question. First of all NATO has a 360 degree approach so of course everything that happens also to the south on NATO matters for the whole alliance. Then, of course depending a bit on where on NATO you stand the South may be a bit different places. But I think most when you speak about the South, we think about North Africa and the MidEast. And NATO is addressing those challenges in many different ways. We have to remember that our biggest operation ever is in Afghanistan which is about fighting terrorism. We have the training mission in Iraq which is about fighting terrorism. And then we are working closely with partners in North Africa and the Middle East as Tunisia Jordan to help them build their military capabilities, intelligence services, command and control to help them stabilize their own countries. We also have the sea guard presence in the Mediterranean. I think there is a potential for NATO to do more. But the precondition for NATO to do more is that Allies agree, so actually one of the things, challenges that I’m working on is to create the necessary political consensus within the Alliance to step up and do even more when it comes to addressing the challenges stemming from the south. Then on the U.S. first of all it was a great honor to speak to the U.S. Congress that was really an honor and a recognition to NATO and it provided us an excellent platform for me to highlight that the strong NATO strong Trans-Atlantic bond is of course good for Europe but it’s also good for United States. It is good to have friends. And no other country, no other power great power has more friends and allies than the United States. This has proven extremely important after 9/11 but is also important if we for instance address the challenges related to the rights of China. If anyone in the United States are concerned about the rest of China, then of course it would be even more important to keep friends and allies as NATO close. You also in particular about values, Well NATO is based on core values. Individual liberty, rule of law, democracy. And I highlight and I underscore and I stress the importance of these values in my meetings in my speeches because these values are actually what we are based on. Then I know that there are concerns, and I think that, one important role that NATO plays is that we are bringing allies together we provide the platform for allies in an open way to address to discuss those concerns and raise those concerns. So instances of NATO parliamentary assembly that’s an ideal platform to have a democratic open debate on concerns which I know exist. NATO can not what you say, enforce any decisions on national parliament. But what we can is to provide a platform for open democratic discussions, where also allies are free and are welcome to raise concerns about when, to what extent we are all able to live up to those standards. The last thing I would say about this is that even if there are concerns and I accept that and I raise this issue in different capitols as I travel around. We have to remember that NATO has really contributed to the spread of democracy and lib and rule of law. Especially throughout Europe after the end of the Cold War. The enlargement of NATO together with the enlargement of the European Union has by far been one of the biggest, what’s it say gains for both values for decades. So yes there are problems but in the big picture NATO has really made a difference strengthening rule of law democracy throughout the former what’s you say members of the Warsaw Pact Central Eastern European countries that were no Democratic countries at all until the end of the Cold War. Then the U.K. well to be honest the last part of your question I didn’t really get but but if it’s about human rights it’s partly the same, that these are core values for NATO peace and stability is absolutely essential for human rights. The fight against terrorism is essential for human rights. So this is part about protecting our what you say our own countries but is also working with partners beyond NATO territory to help to stabilize them to help them to promote our values. And if they are more stable we are more secure and that’s one of the main tasks of NATO to work with partners also outside the NATO territory.
Thank you. We now have the following heads of delegation Mr.Christan Campbell from the French delegation. Mr.Sven Koopmans head of the Netherlands delegation. And Mr.Luca Frusone from the Italian delegation. So Christian first.
[Christan] (speaks in foreign language)
[Translator] Thank you Madame President, Mister Secretary General we are of course very worried by the situation in Turkey. We know as you do the challenges that Turkey has to face up to. You’ve mentioned them, however nothing authorizes an ally to carry out to reconstitute to help Daesh maybe reconstitute his presence in a territory in which we have fought very hard for. This situation is unacceptable and France firmly condemns this situation and suspended its arms sales and it calls on Turkey to cease its offensive. We have been surprised Mister Secretary General by the turn of your statements in Istanbul. This the consequence of consultation with major Allie the U.S. don’t you think that it’s now up to the Knack to mention these issues and to defend the values of democracy and pay that characterize NATO’s work? Thank you very much. (applause)
Sven, Sven Koopmans
[Sven] Thank you Madame President and thank you Mister Secretary General. The Turkish invasion in Syria is causing a lot of suffering and creating security and we see now a resurgence and emergence of terrorists. What are you proposing to do to counter this action and what can NATO itself do in terms of denying support and means that may be used by the forces of President Erdoğan thank you.
And finally Luca.
[Luca] Thank you Madame President I will speak Italian. (coughs) (speaking in foreign language)
[Translator] Italy has long had a NATO mission in Turkey to protect Turkish airspace and the local population from missile strikes. The mission had run its course but some time ago we decided to stay in place because we believe in NATO’s values because we believe that all allies should do their share because we believe that multilateralism is the way to go. But some allies like Turkey have decided to take action unilaterally against people who helped us defeat Daesh. Bringing chaos to the region again and then endangering allies on Turkish soil as the Italians. This action will strengthen Russia’s position in this area and will further destabilize other important countries for allies like Italy, Libya being one of these. A mention must be made of a newly displaced persons and civilian victims. It is NATO’s duty to protect all of its allies or we will be witnessing a unilateral drift that will, unilateralist drift that will undermine the alliance and values it represents. If you were in Italy’s position would you withdraw your troops from the mission? (audience applause)
All the questions were about Turkey and the situation on in Syria so I will answer them together. I expressed my deep concern and I did that in Istanbul because I am deeply concerned. And I think what has happened since Friday has just underpinned and underscored those concerns. Because we see a very unstable situation. We see human suffering and that’s exactly why I expressed not only my concern for the ongoing military operation but my serious concern for the ongoing military operation and for the risk of increasing tensions for the destabilizing dissipation and more human suffering. I also highlighted exactly what some of you alluded to. That we must not put in jeopardy the gains we have made against our common enemy. There are many challenges and many many problems and there’s still violence and instability in Iraq and Syria. But at least we have made enormous progress by liberating the territory. The territory that was controlled by Daesh not so long ago. And that progress the liberation of these territories held by Daesh, was something we all did together. In the global in the U.S. led coalition to defeat the Daesh, all like allies are part of that coalition, NATO as an alliance is part of their coalition. And it was a great achievement to liberate the territory they controlled. And that’s also the reason why I am in Istanbul on Friday express my concerns that we may see that these gains are now put in jeopardy. So I conveyed exactly the same message as I did from the lectern here today in Istanbul on Friday. Then I also say that we have to, the only way you can understand what is going on there, is also to understand the important role Turkey has played. Turkey’s important for NATO. It has proven important in many ways not least in the fight against Daesh. We have used as a NATO allies the global coalition all of us have used infrastructure in Turkey, bases in Turkey in our operations to defeat Daesh. And that is exactly one of the reasons I’m concerned about what is going on now because we risk undermining the unity we need in the fight against Daesh. And Daesh has, they don’t control any territory any longer but I visited Baghdad and the NATO training mission in Iraq not so many weeks ago and it was clearly conveyed to me a message that Daesh still exists. Daesh is still there, underground operating sleeping cells. So Daesh is not disappeared, Daesh may come back, And that makes it even more important that we do whatever we can to maintain the unity in the fight against Daesh. Because that’s our common enemy. And then I expressed, and I repeated that today that the most immediate concern, is the concern about those terrorist Daesh fighters who have been captured which we now risk that can be set free. So I think we share those concerns. And then the challenge is that we need a more coordinated approach from the international community in general and from NATO allies in particular to deal with the issue for fighters. We’ve not been that successful so far and I think we should see more commitment and stronger efforts to try to find a coordinated international solution to how to deal with the foreign fighters.