[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.