29 November 2006
Ottawa, Ontario
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Good afternoon once again, ladies and gentlemen.
I am accompanied by Peter MacKay, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Gordon O'Connor, the Minister of National Defence, and General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff.
The NATO summit has just ended. I want to thank the government and the people of Latvia for their warm welcome and congratulate them on their initiative in hosting this historic summit in a country that was once part of the Soviet Union and today is a shining example of democracy.
We have made progress on Canada's objectives at this summit. I stressed loud and clear, NATO's highest priority is our mission in Afghanistan. Our allies appreciate the commitment and the sacrifices that Canada has made in helping rescue Afghanistan and its long-suffering people from violence and oppression.
They share our determination to help the Afghans realize their vision of a successful and secure democracy that is not a haven for terrorists.
As the NATO Secretary General himself said, Afghanistan is not yet won but it is winnable and it is being won. Since September, NATO has had a steady increase in troops, and that continues. NATO members like Poland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Romania and Canada have led the way. We are also fortunate to have countries like Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan as NATO partners who have committed troops and civilian assistance to our operations.
Their assets are making a difference in Afghanistan and we thank all of them for their contributions.
Progress has continued throughout the Summit. Caveats have been softened. Enabling elements like planes and helicopters are being contributed, development assistance is increasing, and member nations are committed to working with President Karzai and his government to bring law, order and essential services to the Afghan men, women and children.
Over the past 24 hours, I have discussed our NATO agenda with the Secretary General of NATO, de Hoop Scheffer, Prime Minister Balkenende of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Prodi of Italy, President Kaczynski of Poland, and President Vica-Friberga of Latvia.
Ministers MacKay and O'Connor have also made progress in promoting our interests with their colleagues. We leave Riga with a strong message of NATO commitment and with concrete actions by Alliance members that will bring this commitment to reality.
Thank you.
