Anders Fogh Rasmussen delivers a speech at the Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington. 

Secretary General calls on Europe and America to renew their commitment to transatlantic security

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called on America and Europe to renew their commitment to shared security in light of the new threats the world is facing, in a speech delivered at the Atlantic Council of the United States in Washington on Monday (7 July) ahead of his meeting with president Barack Obama.

In his speech titled “A strong Transatlantic Bond For An Unpredictable World”, Mr. Fogh Rasmussen said that since World War Two, “the solution to every strategic challenge has been transatlantic” with, “America and Europe working together, trading together and when necessary fighting together.” “But we cannot take our transatlantic bond for granted. We must renew our commitment. And continue to invest time, energy, and resources, to keep it strong”, he added.

“To meet the challenges we face, we need a truly integrated transatlantic community. I believe there are three things we must do. Reinforce our economic ties. Deepen our personal and cultural links. And strengthen our security”, he said.

The NATO Secretary General underlined that “we are surrounded by conflict, danger, disorder and autocratic regimes. An arc of instability threatens states from the Middle East to North Africa and the Sahel, tensions and territorial disputes are rising in Asia and a revisionist Russia is breaking international rules and undermining trust. The best way to face such threats is clear. We must be confident in our values, reinforce our readiness, and strengthen the transatlantic bond that remains the bedrock of our international order.”