Doorstep statement by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the start of the Foreign Affairs Minister meeting. Also available in high definition.
Transcript:
Good morning. As you know, the situation on NATO’s south-eastern border is of great concern. Turkey has asked for Alliance support. And we stand in full solidarity with Turkey. I would expect NATO allies to make a decision later today. I am confident we will demonstrate our determination to deter against any threats and defend our ally. Because this is what our alliance is all about. As we have already made clear, any deployment would be defensive only. It would in no way support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation. I have already told that to foreign minister Lavrov in the spirit of full transparency. And I expect NATO ministers to repeat it when we meet in the NATO-Russia Council shortly. The dialogue between NATO and Russia is based on reciprocal transparency, trust and confidence. And our aim remains to build a strategic partnership. This year we have made good progress on practical cooperation, in areas such as Afghanistan, counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics. We are going in the right direction. But we need to put new energy into our relationship, and look at how we can boost cooperation over the next years. Tomorrow, we will meet the foreign minister of Georgia, a dedicated partner and one of the countries which aspires to join the Alliance. We will recognize the progress that Georgia has made and encourage all parties to keep up the momentum of democratic reforms. Georgia has shown exemplary commitment to our mission in Afghanistan and tomorrow, we will discuss with all our partners in ISAF the question of long-term funding for the Afghan forces as part of the broad international effort. This is an essential part of our shared strategy for a stable Afghanistan. We are committed to play our part in developing appropriate, coherent and effective funding for the Afghan forces. And the Afghan government has committed to take on more and more of the funding over time. Making sure that those commitments are met will be vital for Afghanistan, for NATO and for the whole international community. With that, I am ready to take your questions.
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