H.E. Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary-General of NATO, addressed a select audience on: “NATO, the Mediterranean, and the broader Middle East”. Mr. Rasmussen said in his lecture, the solution to the conflict in the Middle East should be implemented on the basis of two states living side by side together in harmony, adding that in order for this solution to last, it has to come through negotiations and not be imposed on the parties involved in the struggle. He reiterated that NATO is not a major actor in the peace process, noting that it is still premature to speculate on any role NATO may play in the post-negotiations period.
“Before we can see that happen, certain conditions must be fulfilled, such as a final peace settlement between all rivals, and second it has to be based on a UN mandate,” he said, adding that Israel should contribute constructively to the establishment of a viable, and politically and economically independent Palestinian state while at the same time, the Palestinians have to address Israeli security concerns.
He added that peace is a common interest of all parties in the region and the world as a whole, and that once it is achieved the region will see economic prosperity that will bring better living conditions for the peoples in this part of the world.
Mr. Rasmussen underlined that failure to address the conflict in the Middle East will continue to provoke, stimulate and feed terrorism and terrorist movements as much as poverty and political and economic oppression do.
“I am sure that all parties realize that much time has been wasted and brave steps must be taken by all sides. The people have suffered enough and it’s about time to see practical results rather than negotiations,” he said.
Mr. Rasmussen also praised Jordan’s “strong reputation in military training”, citing the training of 10,000 Iraqi military personnel and 60,000 Iraqi policemen over the past two years.
“The fight in Afghanistan is not about religion. It is a fight against terror. Islam upholds human life. The assault on a life of one human is equivalent to assaulting the lives of all humanity. We encourage Muslim countries to join us because they share similar cultural and religious values and have valuable cultural and religious awareness and expertise,” he said, stressing that faith must bring all people of different ethnicities together instead of dividing them.
He added that since Jordan joined the NATO Mediterranean dialogue partnership 15 years ago, the bonds between the two sides have grown ever stronger, adding that the Kingdom has set an example for other countries in its efforts to achieve peace in the region.
He commended the Jordan Armed Forces’ robust commitment to the global pursuit of peace, security and stability, noting that the need for peace lies at the heart of NATO’s mission.
Peace does not come about by itself, he said, explaining that peace is more than the absence of war, but also entails human dignity and human rights. All countries must enforce these values against hatred, the EU official said, highlighting the Amman Message launched by King Abdullah in 2004, which calls for dialogue and tolerance among people of different faiths in the service of humanity.
“I am here to reaffirm NATO’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Jordan and the other countries in the Mediterranean dialogue partnership, which was established 15 years ago and has served as a framework for practical cooperation and dialogue between the 28 NATO countries and seven Middle Eastern and North African countries,” he said.
He stressed that NATO has made a particular effort to reach out to Jordan to strengthen partnership and that political dialogue has increased, leading to greater coordination involving different levels of expertise that brought the two parties closer together.
Rasmussen said NATO is also supporting and cooperating with Jordan in terms of safe disposal of obsolete arms and explosives, adding that civilian and military experts from both sides are working together in these efforts, which he said are in the interest of the safety and well-being of the Jordanian people.
At the end of the lecture, Mr. Rasmussen answered questions raised by the audience.