Rīga, 30.11.2021.
Dear Ministers,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to this event, which will serve as an important contribution to an open debate and, and at the same time – an intellectual warm-up before the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that will start in a few hours this afternoon.
Dear Secretary General,
Let me wholeheartedly welcome you back to Riga for a NATO official gathering. You may recall that it was exactly 15 years ago when Latvia hosted the NATO summit with you as then Prime Minister of Norway among the participants. The world has not become a better place over those years. However, let me reaffirm my conviction that NATO has grown more united and more in sync with the surrounding world.
There are at least two aspects that highlight the importance of this public diplomacy event.
First, NATO is ever evolving and transforming the Alliance of nations ready to adjust to the requirements of the times to ensure security and peace of its members. Indeed, we are in the midst of transforming the Alliance so that it is fit for addressing the evolving challenges. Namely, we keep working on implementation of the transformative NATO2030 agenda. At the same time, we are about to take the next step. We are to commence a political consultation among the Allies to update the Strategic Concept of the Alliance.
Second, it is imperative to involve society representatives – experts, think-tankers, businesses and especially youth. In this context, it is important for the Latvian public to hear firsthand views of the Allies coming from across the regions of the Alliance. Therefore, I am particularly thankful to the Secretary General and the Ministers for your willingness to join this conference. Let me thank also the Latvian Institute for International Affairs and all its partners for organising this event. I hope that the ideas and suggestions will echo at the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There are many topics on the Ministers’ plates for today and tomorrow. But the most important of them, the one that will secure a place for the Riga Ministerial in NATO’s history, is launching of the process of preparing the next Strategic Concept.
In fact, I find it highly symbolic that we launch the process here in Riga – in the North East flank of the Alliance. Just to be finished in the South West of the Alliance – in the Madrid Summit next year. A true 360° approach!
I am sure, we will hear it multiple times these days that NATO has adapted effectively to be the most successful Alliance. It is not a cliché. To my account, in the past 30 years NATO has transformed a number of times. Politically – from creating numerous partnerships after the fall of the Berlin Wall to enlargement. And militarily – starting from out-of-area operations to the reassurance and reinforcement of the easternmost members of the Alliance.
However, success of the past does not make it a granted truth in a decade to come. An overall effort is required for NATO to remain the most successful Alliance also in 2030. And the political will and the commitment in form of resources are required as well.
To kick off the debates today, let me walk through some of our takes on what is important to reflect in the next Strategic Concept.
The security environment has deteriorated significantly since the last Strategic Concept was written. As we speak – Russia is concentrating its armed forces on the borders with Ukraine. Just two months ago in its strategic exercise Russia demonstrated full military command and control over Belarus. Russia has recently been avoiding dialogue with NATO. Those are just the most recent reminders of why Russia continues to pose a threat.
Terrorism remains a threat, too. Large swaths of poorly governed and controlled territories eventually become breeding grounds for terrorists and thus threat to international security.
Besides that – the global security environment has become much more competitive politically with authoritarian regimes questioning the rules-based international order. That challenge extends to the technological area as well. Not only in the digital, but also in the kinetic domain, terms of distance and time become more and more relative. Borders of domains and regions become more and more blurred.
It is obvious that we have to address the issue of a more assertive China. Its rapid military modernisation cannot be ignored in the next strategic concept. China is already here with us in Europe in our gadgets and in our critical infrastructure. It is already present in our neighbouring regions. I cannot imagine China being left out of the picture.
As with all the previous Strategic Concepts, formulated in times when the security environment is tense and unstable, the issues of military adaptation tend to dominate the agenda.
Collective defence is the ultimate purpose of NATO. The Alliance has been successful and adequate in its adaptation. The enhanced Forward Presence of Canada-led Allied troops here in Latvia is just one example out of many.
The adaptation is never ending. Secretary General is leading us on a daily basis and each Ministerial takes another step towards ensuring that our defence and deterrence is up to date and fit for purpose. We have to make sure that NATO continues to have the right forces, both conventional and nuclear, and capabilities, at the right place and the right time to protect the Allies from any threat.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are in an everlasting and fierce competition with our adversaries in all domains of new and emerging challenges and threats. Be it hybrid, cyber, space or any new technology. The Allies have to be ready to address them. We see that hybrid actions have become a preferred and dominant modus operandi by our adversaries.
As we see from the ongoing hybrid attack by the Lukashenko regime, the hybrid threats can be diverse in nature and aimed at several Allies at the same time. In circumstances like these, it is no more a national responsibility to withstand and build resilience. The situation deserves a collective response and a collective resilience. Therefore, I believe, the way the Alliance addresses the task of collective defence has to be broadened and augmented. Otherwise, systemic weaknesses, if skilfully exploited, can lead to erosion of the very cohesion and deterrence capability of the Alliance.
Here in Riga, we will discuss lessons learned from our mission in Afghanistan. We should be able to set objectives and devote resources to any other out-of-area operation in a more effective manner.
NATO is not alone. Our network of partnerships is of high value both to NATO and our partners. All the partnerships are important, but that does not make them all being alike. We should aim for a more individual, tailor-made approach.
There are partnerships that are helpful to fulfilling our core tasks, like the ones with Finland and Sweden. There are partnerships key to defence and resilience of the entire Europe, like the ones with Georgia and Ukraine, in the Western Balkans or North Africa. And there are partnerships important for a global security environment, like the ones in Asia-Pacific, the Gulf or Africa.
There is a unique partnership that has to be reflected properly in the Strategic Concept – the one with the European Union. It has to ensure an even stronger mutual complementarity in relations between NATO and the EU. Strategic aims are the same for both. There should be no contradiction and competition between them. I see no reason to have one. The Strategic concept of NATO and the Strategic Compass of the European Union should complement each other.
And – last but not least. NATO stands firm behind Article 10 of the Washington Treaty and NATO’s doors remain open. Latvia will continue to provide its support and assistance to countries aspiring to join our Alliance. From our own experience we know how thorny that path can be, but it is doable.
Mr. Secretary General, dear colleagues,
Latvia is investing and will continue to invest in its defence and in strengthening the deterrence and defence capacity of the Alliance. We will continue to foster unity, solidarity and cohesion of the Alliance and a strong transatlantic link with the US and Canada.
I will stop here by thanking once again the organisers and being eager to hear the key note speech by Secretary General followed by discussions of Presidents, Ministers and experts.