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00:00Good morning and welcome to this meeting.
00:13Before I address the Council and hand over to the new Secretary-General, let me give
00:19the floor to the Dean of the Council, Ambassador Nobel, also please you have the floor.
00:27Thank you, Secretary-General, dear colleagues, it is a great honor for me to say a few words
00:32of gratitude to the Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and to welcome Secretary-General
00:38Mark Rutte.
00:39It took us a while to agree on an appropriate person to replace our popular SG.
00:44Dear Jens, it was a wonderful journey with you during the last ten years, truly your
00:51decade.
00:52We were lucky that you declined your father's advice not to take over a boring organization.
00:59You navigated us through many dark strides as we searched for a new role of NATO in a
01:04fast-changing world.
01:07Under your leadership, we proved that NATO is not obsolete or brain-dead, but capable
01:12to reform, to strengthen transatlantic bonds, and to meet the world's commitments.
01:18You were the greatest transformer of our alliance in many other areas as well.
01:23Above all, you united us behind Ukraine.
01:27It was not a boring decade for sure.
01:30Somehow, at the time when you took over NATO, an exhibition of portraits of Russian rulers
01:37took place in Moscow.
01:39Those who expanded Russia by war had a green spot on their frames.
01:44That explains mentality.
01:46But if we were ever to exhibit portraits of NATO leaders, you would have many green
01:51spots on your frame for the admission of new members.
01:57Open door is our mentality.
01:59Dear Jens, we are going to miss your profound wisdom, cool head, and a dry sense of humor.
02:07Please be kind to us in your book on NATO.
02:13Ladies and gentlemen, leadership matters more than mutual interest, particularly in
02:17extraordinary times.
02:19Dear Secretary General Rutte, challenges before you are no less demanding.
02:26International security system is scrambling.
02:28The most devastating warfare since Second World War is fought on European soil.
02:34Terrorism, hybrid and cyber warfare are threatening our way of life.
02:39In Mark, you have to sustain our unity and to preempt fatigue in our support to Ukraine,
02:46where the future of European security will be decided.
02:50It is not an easy task due to the electoral turbulences in many of our democracies.
02:57The definition of our security has never been more complex, and the line between regional
03:02and global is more blurred.
03:05Because of that, you will have to finish the reforms that we adopted at Madrid and
03:10Vilnius summits.
03:12Challenges ahead of us requires a lot of diplomatic skill and strong leadership.
03:18We all believe that your long political experience, your strong dedication and working energy
03:24backed by your firm beliefs and compassion will lead us successfully through turbulent
03:30times ahead of us.
03:32You inherited a large alliance, and our collective strength is unprecedented in history.
03:39United we stand with you.
03:43Thank you once again, Jens, and a warm welcome to you, Mark.
04:00Thank you so much, Mario.
04:03Dear friends and colleagues, dear Mark, when I became Minister for Industry and Energy
04:13in Norway in the early 1990s, the Prime Minister told me that I needed to be prepared for long
04:22meetings in the Parliament, and I had to sit for hours to listen to not always very
04:30exciting debates.
04:33But the Prime Minister also told me, remember that this is democracy.
04:39This is how we take care of our great nation, and how we make decisions together.
04:47In the same way, I have sat here in the North Atlantic Council for 10 years, for more than
04:551,000 council meetings, and listened to discussions that I think we all can agree were not always
05:04very exciting.
05:07But all of them are part of how we take care of our great alliance, and how we make decisions
05:16together.
05:19History was made in this room.
05:22Over the last decade, we have achieved great things.
05:26We have undergone the biggest transformation of NATO in a generation.
05:33We have strengthened our defences, from having zero to eight NATO battlegroups, with tens
05:40of thousands of combat-ready NATO soldiers on our eastern flank.
05:46We have gone from thousands to half a million troops on high readiness.
05:53And from three to 23 Allies, spending at least 2% of GDP on defence.
06:04And we have strengthened NATO as an institution, doubling our common budget to ensure we can
06:10effectively deliver.
06:13Our family of Allies and partners has grown.
06:18Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden joined our alliance.
06:26And Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before.
06:33In 2014, we only provided marginal support to Ukraine.
06:39Now our support is massive.
06:42And NATO is coordinating it through our new command in Germany.
06:48We have also broadened our partnerships in the South, deepened relations with countries
06:53in the Indo-Pacific, and NATO-EU cooperation has reached unprecedented levels.
07:01Europe and North America, together in a strong NATO, is the only way forward.
07:08Unity remains our greatest strength.
07:14It has been an honour for me to be at the helm of NATO, and to work with all your nations,
07:22and with everyone at this table and in this building.
07:27I thank you all â civilian and military leaders, members of the international staff,
07:34and representatives of national delegations.
07:39And of course, I thank my dear Ingrid.
07:45And now I'm coming.
07:47And this time I will keep my promise.
08:02I'm leaving Brussels in a few hours.
08:09And now, Mark, to you.
08:11It is over to you.
08:13You know NATO well, and you are well known across the Alliance.
08:18You have the perfect background and experience to become a great Secretary General of NATO.
08:26During your many years, 14 years as Prime Minister, you have demonstrated that you know
08:32how to build consensus.
08:34You have led four different coalition governments, so you know how to make compromises.
08:41That is something which will be highly valued here at NATO.
08:46But you have also demonstrated that you don't compromise on our core values and principles.
08:55We see that with your personal commitment to our transatlantic bond, and your unwavering
09:02support for Ukraine.
09:06Now is the time to leave, and for you to begin your term as Secretary General of NATO.
09:16To mark that moment, I will hand you this gavel donated to NATO in 1963 by Iceland.
09:27It is used for special meetings in NATO.
09:30The last time it was used was when we had the last ministerial meeting in the old NATO
09:36building of the road, and then we use it again today.
09:41Whether you decide to use this every day is up to you.
09:43It's a Viking gavel.
09:47Dear Mark, please receive this special gavel, and let me invite you to take the seat of
09:52the chair of the North Atlantic Council.
10:22Well, thank you, Jens, and thank you, Ambassador Nobilo, dear Mario, for your very kind words,
10:48and a good morning to all.
10:52Merci, Jens, et bonjour Ă tous et Ă toutes.
10:56It is a great honour to be here, and to take up the position of NATO Secretary General.
11:03And first of all, I want to thank all of your nations for trusting me with the responsibility
11:10of guarding the Alliance in the coming years.
11:13It is a big job, and I have big shoes to fill.
11:18Jens, you have been an exemplary Secretary General.
11:22Today NATO is bigger, NATO is stronger, and is more united than ever, and that is in large
11:29part because of your leadership.
11:33On the one hand, you have set the bar high for your successor.
11:38But on the other, I inherit a robust Alliance.
11:41Jens, my dear friend, thank you.
11:46Dear colleagues, I have every intention of keeping up the good work you have initiated
11:51in recent years.
11:53And I am determined to prepare NATO for the challenges of the future.
11:59As Secretary General, I will work on three priorities.
12:03The first is to keep NATO strong, and ensure our defences remain effective and credible
12:10against all threats.
12:13For this, we need more forces with better capabilities and faster innovation.
12:19This requires more investment.
12:22Because to do more, we must spend more.
12:25There is no cost-free alternative if we are to rise to the challenges ahead.
12:32And keep our one billion people safe.
12:35My second priority is to step up our support for Ukraine and bring it ever closer to NATO.
12:43Because there can be no lasting security in Europe without a strong, independent Ukraine.
12:50I know from personal experience, with the downing of Flight MH17 in 2014, how conflict
12:58in Ukraine is not contained to the front lines.
13:03So we must do our part.
13:05We must deliver on the package agreed at the Washington Summit.
13:10The command, the financial pledge, and Ukraine's irreversible path to membership.
13:18And we must sustain this support into the future.
13:22Because Ukraine's rightful place is in NATO.
13:27The third priority is to strengthen our partnerships.
13:31With our unique and essential partner, the European Union.
13:35And with countries around the world that share our interests and values.
13:41Jens, you did a great job building stronger connections with partners, especially in the
13:48Indo-Pacific.
13:50In a global and interconnected world, our security has to be a team effort.
13:57And I look forward to working closely with all Allies.
14:02All of you around this table, in this building, and all across NATO.
14:08If any job could make me leave my home city of The Hague, it is this one.
14:16Ambassador Petrides, dear Ariadne, I want to thank you and your country for welcoming
14:22me here in Brussels.
14:25It is a city I have gotten to know well over the years, thanks to the endless amount of
14:30EU Council meetings I have attended.
14:33And it is now my home away from home.
14:37I am eager to roll up my sleeves, get to know every one of you, and get to work together.
14:44So I want to thank you very much.
14:47And I believe now the right wording is that I have to say, this meeting now stands adjourned.