Events 2009
Volker: NATO Changed A Lot In the Past 10 Years
Kurt Volker visited Prague on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of CR in NATO.
March 26, 2009
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker said in an interview for the U.S. Embassy in Prague on March 13 that the North Atlantic Organization has dramatically transformed in the past ten years, adjusting to the changing situation in the world: “In 1995, NATO had 16 members, didn’t have any partners, and conducted no military operations, only exercises.
In 2009 it will have 28 members after Croatia and Albania join, has partners in Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Maghreb, Australia and Japan; it’s been active in the Balkans and Afghanistan and trained troops in Iraq.
Other activities include various counter operations - for example against piracy off the African coast.” Volker noted the Czech Republic is contributing in a substantial way and is not only “a consumer of security but is also a contributor.” Volker pointed out that although the alliance has been a huge success story in its 60-year history, it must not rest on its laurels and must adapt to all kinds of new security threats in areas like energy security, cyber-terrorism and failed states. “NATO needs to figure out how to address these issues in the long term,” he added.
Volker, visiting Prague on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of CR in NATO, met Czech foreign affairs officials and press in the Czech Senate, toured Radio Free Europe’s new headquarters and took part in a panel discussion about adapting NATO to the challenges of the 21st century.
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