CLOSING REMARKS

Hon. Karl A. LAMERS

President of the Atlantic Treaty Association

President La Loggia, Commander Dalhaug, His Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank you all for your attendance in making our General Assembly this year such a successful event.

Having gathered from across the transatlantic community and beyond we have all had the privilege of sharing ideas and gaining insights with many of the best and brightest minds in the world. We have helped create a new strategic vision for our future. One that enhances Alliance solidarity as the cornerstone of European and North American foreign policy. One that expands our collective security to our partners. One that supports our missions and troops throughout the world.

I am truly proud of our accomplishments. If there is anything that I intend to take back with me from this Assembly it is the need to remain steadfast in our commitment to transatlantic values to increase our role in the policy-making process and to and to not be afraid of doing what our governments are not willing, or are not courageous enough to do. Making this happen requires more than simply recognizing the challenges of our times, but mandates that we be proactive in addressing them.

While our strength is rooted in our ability to stand united, our future depends on our skills at adapting to changing security environments. Over the last few days I have been reminded that our capacity to do this comes from educating and informing our people and to influence our leaders at home. We must never forget that our primary responsibility is to work with our citizens so we can overcome the challenges on the horizon. This mission necessitates that we include more people in our cooperative project, especially the current and upcoming leaders of our societies.

Our modern defense, economic recovery and collective security all depend on our willingness, as an Alliance, to stand firm in solidarity and to meet threats head on. We must continue to prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead and never stray from our mandate of enhancing our own peoples understanding of the threats we face and how best to overcome them.

Throughout our General Assembly we have stressed the prominence of our Alliance and its role in the world today. We are, and will continue to be, the most sophisticated and capable Alliance ever created, with a mandate like no other. Because of this, our vision for the future has never been more critical as we take measures that will shape the world we all inhabit.

I wish you all the best for the coming year and a safe trip home. May you continue to be an integral part of the strategic vision for our future. I look forward to working with all of you. Thank you.