Lithuania's Foreign Minister welcomes the decision regarding a joint representative at the expert group for NATO's Strategic Concept

On 3 August, Lithuania‘s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas welcomed the decision of the new NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to include a joint representative of the Baltic States  - Ambassador Aivis Ronis from Latvia - into a group of experts which is tasked to prepare a new Strategic Concept of NATO.

“It is very important for the Baltic States that their interests are heard while drafting the new NATO’s Strategic Concept. I know Mr. A.Ronis very well as we had worked a lot and closely together in Washington at the time when decisions regarding the NATO membership of the Baltic States were being adopted. I value Ambassador A.Ronis as a vigorous and experienced diplomat who has also gained experience in public life activities and financial sector during last two years. I trust that he will be the right representative of all the Baltic States and his opinion will be listened to during the ongoing discussion”, Minister V. Ušackas said.

According to the head of Lithuania‘s diplomacy, the Baltic States share the main interests regarding the Strategic Concept. It is necessary to maintain the basic NATO’s principle of collective defence, to adjust NATO’s policy to the fight against the new threats (the list of which is topped by the issues of energy and cyber security), to keep the Alliance’s door open, to implement a pragmatic and principled NATO policy towards Russia, to guarantee the continuity of air police mission in the Baltic States.

NATO’s Strategic Concept is a basic and strategic document of the Alliance’s activities. It outlines NATO’s goals and objectives, evaluates the strategic security environment and perspective, as well as provides guidelines for the development of Alliance’s forces.

The current NATO’s Strategic Concept was adopted in 1999. During the Alliance Summit in Strasbourg and Kehl in April this year it was decided to start preparing a new NATO’s Strategic Concept which is expected to be adopted at the Alliance Summit in autumn 2010.

NATO Secretary General A. F. Rasmussen was invited to create a group of experts which would be in charge of preparing recommendations for the new Strategic Concept.

On 3 August, NATO Secretary General A. F. Rasmussen announced the composition of this group which is chaired by former US Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.