Press Communiqué
BERT KOENDERS ELECTED TO HEAD NATO PA,
PLEDGES ACTION ON AFGHANISTAN
Dutch Parliamentarian Mr Bert Koenders was today elected as the new
President of the NATO ParliamentaryAssembly (NATO-PA), the Atlantic
AllianceÂ’s parliamentary arm.
Mr Koenders, 48, a former Vice-President of the Assembly, was unanimously
chosen for a two-year term at the AssemblyÂ’s annual session in Quebec
City.
Much of the five day session in Quebec, which began on Monday, has been
taken up by a debate over NATOÂ’s mission in Afghanistan where the host
country, Canada, has troops.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Koenders returned to the topic. He pledged
to pressure NATO governments to take “as a matter of urgency” a political
initiative on Afghanistan during the upcoming summit of heads of state
and government in Riga, Latvia later this month.
“I am very concerned that in Riga there will be no political initiative
and no sense of urgency - particularly over Afghanistan. That would be a
great mistake. The mission in Afghanistan is critical.
“Critical, first and foremost, to the future for the Afghan people
and their chance of a decent future. But ALSO critical
because it stands for more: NATOÂ’s aspirations to play a substantial role
in dealing with contemporary challenges,” he said.
Mr Koenders told fellow parliamentarians that we need to better
“synchronize security and development and establish a better balance
between offensive operations and reconstruction” and make a renewed
effort to win “hearts and minds” by emphasising the need for “respect and
adherence to humanitarian law and the Geneva convention”.
He also stressed that NATO must deploy the required capabilities.
“One hundred percent means one hundred percent,” he declared.
The NATO PA consists of some 248delegates from 26 member states.
Delegates from associate countries and Parliamentary Observer delegations
also attend its bi-annual sessions.
Mr Koenders pledged that during his Presidency, he would continue “our
own unique selling point: investing in new partnerships” and focus on the
following areas:
- providing assistance
to countries in transition;
- the focus on
countries of the Balkans where much remains to be done and where the
“Adriatic three” are next in line for NATO membership;
- Intensify links with our three partners in the Caucasus based on our
core values of democracy and freedom
- intensify our work
with partners in the Mediterranean Dialogue.
“I would like to develop further our links with national parliaments and
with NATO authorities to the greatest degree possible. I stand for a good
political dialogue with the NATO Council and I want to make sure more
Reports will be discussed in our national parliaments,” he concluded.
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
International Secretariat
Place du Petit Sablon 3, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tél: (32) 2 513 28 65 | Fax: (32) 2 514 18 47 | website: http:// www.nato-pa.int |