NATO-Russia Council Established
Remarks by the President at Opening Session of NATO-Russia Council Meeting
Main Conference Room
Pratica di Mare Airbase
Rome, Italy
THE PRESIDENT: Secretary General, thank you for your leadership.
Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your grand hospitality. You've been
a great host. And I want to welcome our friend, President Vladimir
Putin, to this table, and all my NATO colleagues.
Today marks an historic achievement for a great alliance and a
great European nation. Two former foes are now joined as partners,
overcoming 50 years of division and a decade of uncertainty. And this
partnership takes us closer to an even larger goal: a Europe that is
whole, free and at peace for the first time in history.
NATO was born over a half a century ago as an alliance committed to
defending democracy and advancing freedom. Today, we renew our
commitment to these important goals. And as we reach out to a new
Russia, that is building freedom in its own land and is already joining
us in defending freedom against a common enemy, we do so in the spirit
of peace and friendship.
The attacks of September the 11th made clear that the new dangers
of our age threaten all nations, including Russia. The months since
have made clear that by working together against these threats, we
multiply our effectiveness.
The NATO-Russia Council gives us the opportunity to move forward
together on common challenges, and to begin building ties that can be
expanded far into the future. We will start with areas where our
ability to help one another as equal partners is unmistakeable, areas
such as countering terrorism, preventing the spread of weapons of mass
destruction, emergency planning and search and rescue operations at
sea.
We will improve our coordination in places where we are already
working together, such as the Balkans. NATO, Russia and our other
partners can take great pride in the greater peace and stability we
have brought to that region.
We will also look ahead to other areas, where we can expand our
cooperation, such as missile defense and airspace control that can
strengthen the security of all of Europe.
Nothing we do will subtract from NATO's core mission. We will be
practical, moving forward step by step. And as our trust and track
record of success grows, so will the breadth and depth of our work
together.
The NATO-Russia Council offers Russia a path toward forming an
alliance with the alliance. It offers all our nations a way to
strengthen our common security, and it offers the world a prospect of a
more hopeful century.