Press Release
☷Secretary Antony J Blinken At a NATO 75th Anniversary Reception United States Department of State
U.S. Department of State ( By Press Release office)
Apr 04,2024
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Hey everyone , thanks for coming over to my place tonight to celebrate the 75th anniversary of NATO . It ' s great to have all 32 Allies here for the first time . Before I hand it over to Secretary Blinken , I have a couple of announcements . First , we ' re renaming our executive conference room after Madeleine Albright , who played a key role in NATO enlargement . Second , we have a surprise for you - NATO ' s first cookbook from 1957 , featuring recipes from the 15 Allies at the time . Tonight ' s menu highlights dishes from NATO ' s 12 founding members , so enjoy!SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you . Thank you , everyone . It ' s really tough to follow that , but it ' s great to see all of you , and we ' re really looking forward to President Truman ' s permanent placement after tonight . So first , welcome , everyone . And Julie , thank you so much for hosting us in your cozy home . ( Laughter . ) We can all see why you ' ve been saying there ' s not much elbow room . Julie came just before Putin invaded Ukraine , and thanks to her leadership , the Alliance not only survived but became stronger and more united than ever . There ' s no one the President would rather have representing the United States here than Julie Smith . Thank you . ( Applause . ) Likewise , I think all my colleagues would agree that Jens Stoltenberg has been an incredible champion for NATO . He ' s kept us together when others tried to tear us apart and has really moved the Alliance forward . Jens , we can ' t thank you enough for your leadership . ( Applause . ) I also want to thank all the ambassadors from the NATO countries for the hard work you and your teams do every day to advance the Alliance . None of this happens on its own . It takes effort and dedication . Both Madeleine and Truman understood the importance of standing together against evil and aggression . Truman ' s experiences in World War I shaped his belief in the necessity of alliances based on shared values to prevent history from repeating itself . This belief was radical and untested at the time , but after 75 years , we now take it for granted . About 25 years ago , Madeleine welcomed Poland , the Czech Republic , and Hungary into the Alliance , expanding it to 19 members . Today , we have 32 members . She emphasized the importance of NATO ' s unity during the 50th anniversary Summit in Washington . She knew firsthand the consequences of division and the power of solidarity in defending freedom . It ' s all the hard work you ' re putting in day after day that ' s helping our Alliance move forward . I ' m really happy we ' re here tonight to rename the conference room at the U . S . mission to NATO after Secretary Albright . She was a mentor , friend , supporter , and wise advisor to many of us . We miss her every day , but we ' re inspired by her spirit , determination , and vision for the United States and NATO . She was a huge NATO supporter and played a significant role in its growth . And in some ways , you could also think that NATO ' s success was just meant to happen . But that ' s not the case . It required the 12 original members and those who joined later to not only establish a foundation of peace , but also adapt and strengthen that foundation as new challenges arose . These challenges were things that the founders of NATO couldn ' t have predicted . But for 75 years , that ' s exactly what our Alliance has done . NATO prevented the Iron Curtain from taking over Western Europe , avoided war with the Soviet Union , and helped new nations become democracies . We owe these achievements to the brave soldiers , sailors , and aviators who risked their lives to fulfill our commitment to defend each other . We ' re also grateful to the leaders and diplomats who have shaped NATO over the years . Their service has given generations on both sides of the ocean an incredible gift: unparalleled security . However , despite this security and our commitment to democracy and the rule of law , these values are once again being challenged by those who believe in using force to get their way . We also face new challenges like the climate crisis , cyber attacks , and disinformation , which the founders of NATO couldn ' t have predicted . But as always , the Alliance is adapting and facing these threats together . In the past three years , we ' ve strengthened our deterrence , reinforced our defenses , invested more in our defense capabilities , and launched a new Strategic Concept . We ' ve even welcomed new members to the Alliance . All of this work will continue at the Washington Summit in July . But even as NATO changes and evolves , its purpose remains the same . We are a defensive Alliance and we have never had any intentions of taking over another country ' s territory . As Truman said at the founding , the purpose of NATO is to allow us to focus on the real priorities in life: achieving a better life for our citizens . AMBASSADOR SMITH: Thank you , Mr . Secretary . Now , Secretary General , over to you . Thank you . So , NATO ' s success isn ' t just about deterring enemies or defending territory , it ' s about how our citizens have used their security and freedom to improve their lives . It ' s no wonder democracies are eager to join and deepen their partnership with NATO . Let ' s remember why NATO was created and recommit to maintaining peace and addressing new threats . Let ' s continue to protect what we ' ve built under NATO ' s shield and ensure it remains strong for the future . Thanks to everyone at NATO for their engagement , partnership , and solidarity . Thanks , everyone . SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Thanks for hosting us tonight . It ' s great to be here at Truman Hall , honoring President Harry S . Truman . His role in NATO ' s history is crucial , as he decided to keep US forces in Europe after World War II and support the transatlantic bond with economic aid . This commitment to defending Allies in Europe is a cornerstone of NATO . And the president responsible for all those decisions , knowing that not bringing back the troops , not bringing back all the boys after war was potentially a very unpopular , difficult position – economically costly , politically costly , and of course also paying in human cost – the president responsible for that decision that was brave and not obvious and actually controversial at the time was President Harry S . Truman . So , we wouldn ' t be here and wouldn ' t have a 75th anniversary to celebrate if it hadn ' t been for that very brave political decision by the United States to stay in Europe . So , it ' s great to celebrate the 75th anniversary , and to do that at Truman Hall together with the grandson and next to the statue of the great president . What we will do tomorrow is to celebrate , but we will also do what has actually made this Alliance a success , and that is to focus on how can we continue to adapt . Because the only reason why we are the most successful Alliance in history is for two reasons: one , our unity; and second , that we ' ve been able to change when the world is changing . Ever since the Alliance was established or founded in ' 49 , it has been a great success – preserving peace , preventing war , and enabling economic prosperity . The fact that we have gone from 12 members to now 32 demonstrates that at least we have done something right over these years – ( laughter ) – establishing a group that so many want to join . So , we need to prepare for the upcoming NATO summit in July , where we once again are going to celebrate but also going to demonstrate our ability to take the necessary decisions to show our unity and ensure that we stand together . Because I can ' t tell you exactly what the next crisis or the next conflict or the next war will be , but what I can tell you is that regardless of what the next crisis will be , we will be safe as long as we stand together – North America and Europe . Because together we represent 50 percent of the world ' s economic might and 50 percent of the world ' s military might , so as long as we stand together , no one can threaten us; we are safe . So , if you ensure that we demonstrate that at the summit in Washington , our unity and our ability to change , then we ' ll continue to be the most successful Alliance in history . The great success has been enabled or has happened not least because of U . S . leadership , from President Truman to President Biden , from Secretary Acheson to Secretary Blinken , and from General Eisenhower to General Cavoli , and also supported by many very capable U . S . ambassadors , today represented by Julie Smith . So many thanks to all of them for their leadership and the commitment they have demonstrated to our Alliance over all these years . That was the spirit of President Truman , and that is the spirit of this alliance for the last 75 years . thank you . ( Applause ) Ambassador Smith: Well , Mr . Secretary - General , thank you very much , you and Secretary Blinken , for speaking this evening . And thank you to all the guests who joined us tonight . I also have to thank the amazing teams at USNATO and Truman Hall who put together this amazing event tonight . And tonight , our honored guests , enjoy a taste of our 12 founding allies . Why not explore the library and take a look at some very old cookbooks . And tonight , please enjoy the music provided by our American members ( inaudible ) . And last but not least , before I leave tonight , I have a favor to ask of you . Please sign our guestbook so we don ' t forget this very historic event . Thank you again and enjoy . ( applause . ) .
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