I am glad to have the opportunity to address this important conference and to talk to you about the question of alliances and partnerships.  I am also aware that Germany currently has the presidency of the European Union.

 

I will first quote Kofi Annan from a message that he gave at the end of the last century.  He said: ‘Now, as we enter a new century of challenges and inevitable crises, it is critically important for us to draw on each other’s strengths in pursuit of peace and security.’

 

This makes the challenges we are facing today very clear.  It is important to point out which general threats we face in a globalised world.  Firstly, we face the challenge posed by international terrorism.  Secondly, we face the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.  Thirdly, we face the question of national and regional conflicts with a view to the subject of failing states and loss of the state monopoly of force.

 

We face the challenge of the creation of new safe havens for international terrorists.  There are also parallel criminal structures such as human trafficking and the drug economy where state law enforcement tools no longer work.

 

Often the transition between organised crime and terrorism – in terms of financing, for example – is not clearly defined.  On that basis, it is clear that all our societies have become more vulnerable.  Moreover, we are dealing with the subject of masses of people fleeing; uncontrolled migration pandemics and epidemics which additionally endanger our security.

 

One thing becomes clear in a globalised world: our security policy can no longer be confined to our immediate geographic surroundings.  Within the scope of security prevention, we have to counter risks and threats to our security at their origin.  It is much more prudent to fight those dangers from their origins before they reach our countries.  We stress this when we talk to our people and when we talk about globalised missions.

 

The means of individual national actors to tackle those complex challenges are no longer sufficient. 

 

Sustainable conflict prevention and crisis management cannot be achieved with military means alone.  We use the term ‘network security’ or, to use NATO terminology, we use a ‘comprehensive approach’. 

 

This is the decisive point here also of our common efforts in Afghanistan.  This network security is implemented there.  Security and reconstruction is undertaken so that we gain the trust of the population there.  This is the decisive prerequisite that is needed to achieve success in Afghanistan.

 

We provide the third largest contingent in Afghanistan with more than 3,200 soldiers.  Where we have our responsibility, in the north of Afghanistan, we also have 685 projects.  We have made progress there, including assisting with water supply, power supply, road construction, kindergartens, schools and hospitals.

 

To put together those pieces of the puzzle – security after reconstruction – is the decisive prerequisite for stability and peaceful development there.

 

I believe that our objective can only be achieved if this strategy is implemented.  With regards to the reconstruction efforts, we must work together and commit ourselves jointly.  The term ‘security’ today must be understood in a comprehensive way.  The joint cooperation and action of organisations and institutions is imperative, as is understanding the various perspectives and backgrounds of those involved.  This is the base for success.

 

The cooperation of the various world regions becomes more and more important.  Afghanistan is a NATO-led operation, but there are 42 nations that are active there.  This clearly shows how important it is.  It also shows the challenge we are facing, globally speaking.

 

The Federal Republic of Germany stands by its international responsibility.  We make our contribution to international security and to maintain world peace.

 

As the second-largest provider of force in NATO, we are committed to providing stability and peace.  For example, we do this in the Balkans and in Afghanistan; we have the European mission in Cong; we maintain sea security; we are responsible for the Operation Enduring Freedom; we are active in the Mediterranean; we are active in Sudan and Darfur; we were recently active in Georgia.

 

This shows where we see our responsibility and where we cooperate with friends and alliances and where we want to make a contribution to create a stable and peaceful development of the world.

 

The strongest cornerstone of our security and defence policy is that of our partnership in NATO.  It is a base for our collective defence.  NATO remains the central transatlantic consultation forum in security questions.  NATO is also the natural choice when we talk about crisis management operations.

 

NATO is also particularly suited for complex and robust military operations because NATO has a unique military potential.  We now have a NATO response force with 25,000 soldiers to make our contribution to crisis management. 

 

The European Union is the core of a stable Europe.  Europe is a major work of peace and therefore it is important for us to create the tools – with respect to civil and military capabilities – for crisis prevention and crisis management.

 

It is important to stress, however, that neither NATO nor the European Security and Defence Policy are directed against any other state alliance.  They only serve to preserve freedom, peace and security of their members. 

 

The success story of the European states is essentially linked with the steady strengthening of multilateral political, economic and security organisations and consultation forums.

 

I believe that this development can also be of particular importance to Asia as well.  Of course conditions in Asia are different to those in Europe.  However, Asian countries, in the course of their individual and long histories, have pursued their own ways, as far as politics, economics, society and culture are concerned.

 

Germany, as a part of the European Union, and as a major trade and export nation, has a major interest in a stable development of all parts of Asia.

 

Globalisation has brought Europe and Asia closer together – also in terms of security policy.  You know that we have the G8 summit coming up in Germany.  I also think this question will be addressed there, where it will become clear that our world, globally speaking, grows closer and closer together.  This is of economic importance, but this is also of importance as far as security policy is concerned.  It has to be seen in this context.  The European Union thus pursues, together with many states of the region and in particular through the ASEAN Regional Forum, an intensification of the security political dialogue. 

 

This comprises questions of fighting terrorism, preventing conflicts and also questions of armament control and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.  It is important here to pursue this route with determination and to try to work together in the Security Council of the United Nations with a view to the North Korean nuclear situation to ensure we do not have the same thing in Iran.  With the North Atlantic Alliance, we are in the process of establishing relations to key states in Asia and the Pacific area to establish them and expand them.

 

In recent years, all NATO-led operations for crisis management have always involved partners.  This is not only true for the Balkans, this is also true for Afghanistan and other regions.  Those contributions made by others are of major importance for the alliance.  They range from regional expertise to financial and logistic support, up to the participation of troop contingents.  Moreover, the awareness has grown that with a view to the new risks and challenges described, we do not only talk about regional security and stability, but we talk about global security and stability. 

 

This is our joint responsibility.  Thus it is only a consequence that similarly minded nations in Asia today are striving for an even closer cooperation, for example, with NATO.  NATO now has to answer a question that has been discussed in general, but right now the partnerships that exist today with European and Central Asian states are those partnerships for example in the NATO Russia council or partnerships in particular with the Ukraine and partnerships with North African states and states of the Middle East.  Those partnerships are important but we also have to have a look at the partnership for peace structure.  This makes clear how thinking of open-mindedness with a view to Asia, we want to enter a new stage because NATO is not a world police force.  As a result of the internal discussions, NATO has offered those states who are interested a close and trusting cooperation. 

 

This cooperation should be constructive, flexible and pragmatic without requiring new, fixed structures.  The role and the transatlantic character of the alliance should essentially remain unchanged.  In concrete terms, this cooperation of NATO reaches from the security political dialogue of cooperation in the field of planning and pragmatic solutions in the area of creating peace, reconstruction efforts, disaster control up until participation in NATO-led operations like the ISAF operation in Afghanistan.

 

In such a global partnership, the alliance can offer its unique of security, political, operational and management capabilities.  At the same time, the alliance offers an expandable military strategic framework for common planning and common action to effectively tackle global security risks and new challenges.  Our future lies in establishing a cooperative system of alliances and partnerships that supplement each other, involving nations and institutions – for example also with Europe and Asia.  I think this is our future and how we can best serve world peace, security and the stable development of our nations.