tom4_wersja_angielska.pdf

NATO OF OUR DREAMS

Władysław

Stasiak

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I have the honor of opening a conference devoted to the future of NATO, a

conference held under the patronage of Poland’s president, Lech Kaczyński.

I would like to welcome our distinguished foreign guests and thank

them for coming here to share their experience. I would like to welcome

ambassadors, representatives of armed forces and the government admin-

istration. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to representatives

of non-governmental organizations who are also here with us today and

the remaining participants of this conference. I am very glad that we have

such a diverse group here.

A discussion on such a topic is one of the most important discussions

that should be held both in our country and on the international arena

among all those who are deeply interested and engaged in the future of

the Alliance. NATO faces many challenges these days. A lively discussion,

exchange of opinions, even arguments are essential in shaping the future

of NATO and its role in the system of international security. They are es-

sential for understanding NATO as well as for the improvement of its rela-

tions with international organizations. This is the aim of today’s meeting.

Today’s debate should represent a contribution to a better understanding

of how we envision the future of the North Atlantic Alliance. NATO is an

extremely important and essential organization of international security.

This is an Alliance whose stability, coherence and effectiveness of opera-

tions have been without precedent in history.

Poland joined NATO in 1999 and it was undoubtedly a historic mo-

ment for our country. It took place so late due to the fact that earlier the

whole Europe, the whole world was stuck in a bipolar order. However, the

values which were the basis for the creation of NATO were always close

to our heart. On one hand, we had an arrangement which was based on

coercion, on enslavement while on the other hand the alliance although

based on fear and focused on defense but still sharing common values.

That’s why I would like to remind you of a passage of so-called Report

of the Committee of Three from 1956 summing up only several years of

NATO’s then activities. It read: “Although fear was a major impulse lead-

ing up to the creation of the Alliance what lied at its roots was also aware-

ness that it is a rational thing to create a community of North Atlantic

and western European countries based on the grounds other than only

defense. Common cultural traditions, free institutions and democratic con-

cepts endangered by those who do not share them constitute factors which

should foster the rapprochement between NATO countries aimed not only

at common defense but also at their development. This creates the sense

of the North Atlantic Community parallel to our becoming aware of our

common threats”.

Much of what was written ifty years ago still holds water nowadays.

The mentioned premises were also valid when Poland was joining NATO

in 1999. These days, I think, we can say that we are an already experi-

enced and active NATO member although not having as long an expe-

rience as many other countries. Poland is a country that is involved in

NATO’s operations very much with a considerable experience of function-

ing in NATO’s structures and in implementing various tasks.

Currently a debate is underway among NATO members concerning its

future. It is a positive fact because undoubtedly NATO is nowadays un-

dergoing changes and facing many new challenges. The reform and the

new shape of the North Atlantic Alliance should go in such a direction

that would result in NATO being able to answer and to face new often

very dificult and complicated challenges. 20th century was the century of

conventional threats called symmetrical which resulted out of the competi-

tion between two big superpowers. 21st century will be the time of asym-

metrical threats but also the century of many more complications of these

threats. NATO has to adjust both its structure and its way of thinking

and operating to new challenges. The development of operating capabili-

ties of the North Atlantic Alliance as well as its management, command

and decision taking structures should take into consideration these new

NATO OF OUR DREAMS

challenges and these new threats - both those connected with the present

and with the future.

A very important problem in this context is a balance of proportions be-

tween defense capabilities of the North Atlantic Alliance and its capabili-

ties of operating outside the treaty borders. This is a very important point

of the ongoing discussion. I think it should be clearly stressed that collec-

tive defense which is mentioned in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty

is and should remain the main pillar of NATO. This is the core of NATO

and there is no way of departing from it. Without this pillar it is really dif-

icult to talk about coherence, effectiveness or eficiency of NATO. On the

other hand, however, we cannot refuse to accept problems going beyond

the narrowly understood defense of the territories of member states. I am

thinking here about military operations and multifunctional stabilization

missions carried out outside the North Atlantic area.

Another issue that needs to be discussed is undoubtedly the relationship

between the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union. European

Security and Defense Policy is a very vital initiative which contributes

not only to the political strengthening of the European Union but also

to strengthening of the real security and defense capabilities of both the

whole European Union and its particular members. It should be stressed

that the development of the European Security and Defense Policy must

be a supplement and not opposition or competition to the tasks implement-

ed by the North Atlantic Alliance. The creation of a new area of conlict

would not be serve as increasing the level of security. There is a necessity

of inding harmony between NATO and the EU in order for both organiza-

tions to complement each other. Poland is engaged both in operations of

NATO and in the construction of the European defense capabilities, for

instance by creating European combat groups.

NATO’s attention to security, capability of facing new challenges is not

only this conventional attention to defense of a common territory. In this

context it is worth thinking and acting with reference to multidimensional

security of the North Atlantic Alliance and its members. I am thinking

here, for example, about the issue of the energy security, the protection

of so-called crucial infrastructure or the capability of management crisis

in connection with the protection of crucial infrastructure. The fact that

these issues receive more and more recognition and understanding within

NATO is an important factor shaping new and more integrated thinking

about security. The fact that energy security was mentioned in the Final

Declaration of the Riga Summit in November 2006 is also an evidence

that NATO members and the Alliance itself started to think about secu-

rity issues in an integrated way. In my opinion it is a crucial and important

signal of the strengthening of the role of NATO in shaping this multi-

surface approach to the security issue.

Poland undoubtedly is and wants to remain an active NATO mem-

ber in every dimension of the operations of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Poland gets involved in missions carried out by the North Atlantic Alliance

with great determination. We participate in these missions because we

think that one of the fundamental premises of the functioning of NATO

is its inner solidarity. It is dificult to imagine an effective NATO without

inner solidarity, without taking joint responsibility for various missions.

Dodging solidarity leads in consequence to undermining the eficiency and

role of the Alliance. It is in the context of such a solidarity that Poland

undertakes its participation in missions carried out by the North Atlantic

Alliance. We see these missions as bringing stability and liberation from

many pathologies in countries like Afghanistan. I think that when we talk

about missions this very important aspect should not be forgotten. It should

be strongly stressed that NATO is not ighting there with Afghanistan but

with pathologies consuming this country and is rather trying to create

conditions for building a normal state and the development of this state.

This is a fundamental aim. It should be remembered, though, that NATO

is not only a “sword” – although it is its fundamental role – but it is also

a sort of a “balm”. Stabilization missions should be connected with par

excellance military missions allowing for the creation of a normal society

while ighting various kinds of deeply rooted pathologies also constituting

a threat to territories of all NATO member states. I think that this stabi-

lizing role of the Alliance, creating regular social life, state administration,

social care and so on is not to be forgotten or to be omitted. It is worth

particular stressing.

Another important issue requiring a discussion and in consequence a

decision is the issue of further enlargement of the North Atlantic Alliance.

NATO should be an alliance of “open doors”. NATO should be such an

alliance which brings with it the enlargement of the stabilization zone and

which not only enters those zones where stabilization has been deinitely

NATO OF OUR DREAMS

achieved and established. First of all, it seems to me that fully stable zones

do not really exist in reality. Secondly, an example of countries of central

Europe proves the fact that joining NATO was a vital factor for their

internal stabilization. That’s why we are convinced that NATO’s doors

should remain open, if only for countries like Ukraine or Georgia and

surely for many others which could be discussed here. Opening of NATO’s

doors should be an incentive for widening of the stabilization zone.

It remains a fact that NATO that we are a member of is not a perfect

alliance and most probably will never be one. As of now, however, it is the

best known guarantor of common security. Hence we have to do everything

in order for it to be an effective and real guarantor actually based on a

truly deep understanding of the issue of security and on the rules of mu-

tual solidarity and mutual understanding of its intentions and needs.

Our aim is thus a loyal NATO whose members make joint efforts and

take joint responsibilities. Our aim is NATO capable of effectively imple-

menting its traditional tasks and undertaking new missions in the chang-

ing world. Our aim is NATO closely cooperating with and even comple-

menting the European Union on the basis of complementarity and not

competition. Our aim is NATO engaging in a constructive cooperation

with many partners remaining outside the organization, especially with

Russia which will lead to the strengthening and widening of the stabiliza-

tion zone in the modern world.

Such a vision of the Alliance which really works for the beneit of com-

mon security and solidarity is close to all of us. I hope that today we will

be able to discuss various approaches and different views on NATO and its

relations with other subjects, thanks to which the Alliance will be better,

more effective, longer lasting and more stable. I wish you all and obviously

myself a good conference and a good discussion with notable effects. I in-

vite you to join in the discussion.

Thank you very much.

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