Speech Han ten Broeke for the meeting of the Standing Committee meeting - Main contents
My dear colleagues,
In these last two days we have proven once again why this NATO Parliamentary Assembly is so incredibly important.
As a small and seafaring nation, the Dutch have always recognized the importance of the transatlantic relationship for both our safety as well as our economic well-being. Being part of this military alliance means being in constructive dialogue with one another and trying to really understand each other’s perspectives on matters of common interest.
We have started these constructive dialogues at the first Annual Session in Paris in 1955, and it fills me with great pride and a enormous sense of privilege that I can now address you here in the city of Peace and Justice, the city that holds the Peace Palace, the ICC, ICTY, Europol and now is hosting the 60th Annual Session.
Though we may rightly celebrate this milestone of transatlantic parliamentary cooperation, the Alliance finds itself facing great challenges, both old en new, in preserving its member’s safety and security yet again.
I believe that the debates in this session’s Committee Meetings have again been constructive in taking on these challenges and in sharing different views on matters of great importance to every one of us. All in an atmosphere of cooperation and understanding, thereby preserving and cherishing the core principles of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly: dialogue, transparency and partnerships.
As this Session’s host, the Dutch delegation has added another element to the list of core principles: building bridges. In a time when the Alliance is once again tested by external forces, even ones very close to our own borders, it is of paramount importance that we emphasize the common values we stand for. These values are still the cornerstones of the Alliance, and they help us build those bridges when they are again so desperately needed.
This summer, the people of the Netherlands were brutally reminded why these bridges between the allied nations and between NATO and our partners are so important. A horrific moment high up in the Ukrainian sky, made a conflict that seemed relatively far away to most, invade the lives of so many. Loved ones were lost, and a feeling of confusion and despair remains.
It has shown us once again that our own fate is irrefutably linked to that of others. That the safety and security of the citizens we represent, right here and now, is irrefutably linked to the citizens of our fellow allied nations and those partners outside the Alliance.
It has shown us once again, that we have to work together to preserve core values like Peace and Justice, and defend them. Thanks to us building bridges today, at this 60th Annual Session, future generations can be assured that the Alliance is still strong, and ready to face the challenges that are ahead of us.
Alle informatie over programma, sprekers, livestreams vindt u op NATO PA 2014