Address by Foreign Minister Urmas Paet at the plenary session of the ABA meeting in Riga

"Evolving security environment in Europe as we approach the 60th anniversary of NATO"

Dear friends and colleagues!

The Balkan nations’ course towards the Euro-Atlantic integration has enhanced security in the Balkans and on the continent as a whole. The US-Adriatic Charter of Partnership, which began almost seven years ago, has provided a great incentive. The most visible result of it thus far is by no doubt the NATO accession invitations extended to two charter countries—Albania and Croatia. Estonia also supports Macedonia’s speedy joining into NATO and continues to share its accession experiences with new charter nations Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. We hope that Serbia and Kosovo will also soon be among the nations of the Adriatic Charter.

The basic principle upon which NATO is based—collective defence according to the Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – remains firmly at the core of the Alliance’s activities. In order to strengthen its ability to perform this core task and meet the challenges of the 21st century, the Alliance needs to be able to respond quickly to unforeseen circumstances. Preparations for such quick response include planning and exercises, as well as providing forces able to conduct the full range of military operations and missions. This should be clearly expressed in NATO’s new strategic concept. New security risks, such as cyber defence, energy security and piracy, also need to be thoroughly addressed. In this context, bringing NATO-European Union co-operation to a new level is of particular importance.

Alongside the many new threats, the more traditional threats are also still around, as witnessed during the Russia-Georgia conflict of last summer —a situation we have to keep in the agenda until there is a solution that respects fully the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.

NATO’s transformation and enlargement go hand-in-hand. The enlargement has been a success story. We strongly feel that it is essential for NATO to continue its open-door policy, and that candidates are evaluated according to their performance and readiness for accession. It is well known, that prior to accession a candidate country is burdened with multiple responsibilities. As NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said in Tallinn six years ago, “The candidate countries face a double challenge. You must continue, and intensify, your own political and military reforms. And you must prepare to jump onto a moving train – because NATO’s transformation is both fundamental and moving very fast.”

Although Estonia is hitting the five-year mark as a full member of the alliance this week, there is still plenty of work to do. Security is indivisible, and safeguarding it in Europe and beyond is a project that requires constant effort. Although we have made significant progress in Kosovo, it is the Afghanistan mission that is proving to be the touchstone for international community, including several Balkan contributors. My recent visit to Afghanistan convinced me clearly, that we must increase both military and civilian contribution for the country. It is essential to develop also Afghanistan’s local capabilities. Without strong Afghani government and strong Afghan national forces a stable security environment cannot be accomplished.

The specific context of the Afghanistan operation re-emphasises the essential importance of the international co-operation. There is a clear need for better co-operation and co-ordination among NATO, the EU, the UN and other international players as well as for continuous clear commitment and solidarity among the allies and contributors. The lives of our soldiers depend on it. From the point of view of increased unity, we greatly appreciate France’s decision to return fully to the NATO military structure.

Regardless of the economic difficulties that have arisen, I wish all of us much strength for meeting the security challenges we face in Europe today.

Thank you!