    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 15 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
    [Pages 607-608]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Following Discussions With Secretary General Lord Robertson of
    the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

    April 9, 2002

        President Bush It's an honor to welcome Lord Robertson back here to
    the White House. NATO is an anchor of security for both Europe and for
    the United States. And Lord Robertson is a very strong leader who is
    helping NATO meet the challenges of the new century.
        Since September the 11th, NATO has been a bulwark in the fight
    against terror. On September the 12th, for the first time in history,
    NATO invoked Article V, declaring an attack on one of its members is an
    attack on all.
        NATO did so to show its strong support for the United States. And
    NATO nations are backing up those words with action. More than a dozen
    of our NATO Allies are contributing forces to the war against terror in
    Afghanistan. NATO aircraft have been deployed to patrol our skies in
    support of America's security. And the airspace of NATO members has been
    critical to coalition air operations. The United States is deeply,
    deeply grateful for this support.
        This past weekend in Texas, I thanked Prime Minister Tony Blair for
    the many valuable contributions of Great Britain. Today, on behalf of
    the American people, I thank Lord Robertson for his leadership and for
    the help of our NATO friends.
        The United States will consult closely with our allies as we move
    forward in the war against terror. This is an important moment for NATO,
    and as we prepare for the NATO summit in Prague later this year, we must
    address some critical challenges. NATO must develop new, flexible
    capabilities to meet the threats of the 21st century.

    [[Page 608]]

        We must take on new members, securing freedom from the Baltic to the
    Black Sea. And NATO must forge a new relationship with Russia that is
    even more constructive, so that we can finally and forever abolish the
    divisions that are relics of a previous era.
        These are difficult challenges, requiring determination and
    leadership. And I'm so happy that NATO has a strong visionary leader in
    my friend Lord Robertson. It is our fourth meeting since I've taken
    office, and I look forward to many more.
        Lord Robertson, I appreciate you coming.
        Secretary General Robertson. Mr. President, thank you very much for
    these kind words. And I'm delighted to be here at the White House today,
    because it was on this very day in this city, 53 years ago, that a group
    of nations came together to create a common defense against a common
    threat, by saying an attack on one country would be deemed to be an
    attack on all.
        It was, however, a very different world when NATO redeemed that
    pledge last September. But although the world has changed, the ties that
    bind the 19 NATO nations together have not, because this is an alliance
    built on shared principles and not on convenience, built on permanent
    values, not on expediency.
        So as the President has said, it should be no surprise that so many
    NATO nations--all the NATO nations--are at the forefront of this war on
    terror. NATO is the kind of alliance that you need, because when facing
    a long-term strategic challenge, there's no substitute for long-term
    strategic partners, partners that you can trust and who trust you.
        It's also the kind of alliance that works because when the going
    gets tough, the sheer training, standards, and structures are what welds
    different nations into an effective whole. It's also the kind of
    alliance that lasts because it adapts and modernizes, as it will indeed
    do at our summit meeting in Prague in November of this year--taking in
    new members, rising to new challenges, creating new capabilities to
    defeat new enemies and new threats.
        So today the President and I discussed the common threats that we
    face, both in Europe and in North America, including from weapons of
    mass destruction. And NATO allies will work together to overcome these
    threats.
        And I say this to you, that we will succeed because the record shows
    that NATO is an alliance that has served its members well in the past,
    is serving us well in the present, and as we continue to transform, will
    serve us well into the future.
        Mr. President, this is indeed the fourth time that we've met. This
    is NATO's 53d birthday. It's strong, strong as it ever was. And it
    remains strong because the ties that bind us together are enduring, and
    they lie in the common values of freedom and democracy and of liberty.
        Thank you very much for your kind----
        President Bush. On that note, why don't I go buy you a meal?

    Note: The President spoke at 6:15 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Tony Blair of
    the United Kingdom.