For 70 years, NATO has secured peace and freedom through partnership and cooperation. Marking its anniversary today in Washington, the Alliance will once again stand ready to face challenges from the East and the South, the war on terror, even the burden, and remain resolute in the face of growing challenges. Equally important is marking the anniversaries of NATO’s enlargement to Central Europe, demonstrating the strength of the transatlantic bond and the unity of Allies who share the values and vision for a Europe whole, free and at peace. It is this critical anniversary that we should reflect how Europe’s destiny as an integral part of Euro-Atlantic integration was secured, providing hope for our future generations and sending a clear message to others that prosperity comes with security, peace and democracy.
As the most successful Alliance in history, together we continue to overcome the most serious security challenges in a generation: Russia’s aggression in and around Europe, terrorism and instability in our southern neighbourhood, as well as very real threats from cyber-attacks and missile proliferation. Undaunted by the scale and complexity of these challenges, NATO has responded with speed and determination, implementing the biggest reinforcement of our collective defence in a generation.
Poland has been at the forefront of these changes, standing shoulder to shoulder on the frontlines with our Allies. Working together, we have strengthened our collective defence, cyber and missile capabilities, trained our partners, and taken cooperation with the European Union to a new level, boosting our joint ability to respond to hybrid and other threats.
The NATO we see today stands ready to address the threats of tomorrow, and it is because of dedicated partners like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Norway, Poland and other countries of the region that we remain at the cutting edge of operational capabilities with a unique adaptability to face our challenges in real time.
Anna Fotyga, chair of SEDE
