Remarks
by the Secretary General
Excellencies,
General Joulwan,
General Clark,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today we say farewell to an exceptional soldier and
military leader, who has made an outstanding contribution to the
successful transformation of this Alliance.
General Joulwan, you have served as Supreme Allied
Commander during a major turning point in NATO's history. In the
three and a half years you have held the position of SACEUR, NATO
has gone through some of the most fundamental changes in its
48-year history.
NATO was called upon to lead its most complex military
operation ever -- in war-torn Bosnia.
The outstanding accomplishments of first IFOR and now
SFOR can in large part be attributed to your innovation, military
leadership, and determination. This determination was reflected
in yesterday's action by SFOR in Prijedor, which should serve as
a clear message to everyone that SFOR will continue to carry out
its mandate firmly and fully and will not tolerate any violations
of the Peace Agreement.
In my many visits to Bosnia I have had the chance to
see you in action. I have admired your ability to get the job
done, your genuine concern for the soldiers of IFOR and SFOR, and
your success in building a coalition for peace unprecedented in
Europe's history.
De même, le Partenariat pour la Paix a
bénéficié de votre profond engagement
personnel.
Le succès sans égal du Partenariat pour
la Paix est en grande partie imputable à votre
capacité à avoir fait progresser cet aspect
important du programme de développement et de
coopération de l'Alliance.
L'adaptation interne de l'Alliance - une composante
essentielle de sa transformation pour l'avenir - a
également connu des progrès significatifs
grâce à vos conseils et à votre
détermination. Vous avez lancé et poursuivi avec
dévouement et clairvoyance les réformes et
changements nécessaires pour garantir que notre Alliance
restera prête à affronter les défis du futur.
The new NATO you helped build has been able to achieve
what many believed it never could: a sound relationship with
Russia. To have NATO's Supreme Commander personally committed to
serious cooperation with Russia sent out a very strong signal
which achieved more in a few months than years of talk.
Your collaboration with General Shevtsov symbolises the
new NATO - a NATO which regards Russia as a partner, not an
adversary.
George, although it is with regret that we see you
leave, your legacy will live on. We have learned much from you.
The words "clarity", "mission" and "team" will have special
meaning for us for many years to come. On behalf of the North
Atlantic Council, I thank you and fondly bid you, Karen, Chris
and Michael farewell.
The torch must now pass to a new SACEUR. We are
fortunate that the United States possesses such a wealth of
military talent and experience. General Clark, you will find
that your new command is a challenging one. But there are
tremendous rewards, as you will undoubtedly discover as NATO
continues to transform itself and helps enlarge the zone of
peace, security and prosperity throughout Europe.
You inherit overall Operational Command of a
Stabilization Force engaged in consolidating peace in Bosnia.
Partnership for Peace is about to move into a higher gear. The
NATO command structure will undergo major reform in the years
ahead, and Tuesday NATO invited three countries to begin talks
with us on accession to the Alliance. In short, we have much
work to do and we very much look forward to accomplishing it with
you.
On behalf of the entire NATO community, please accept
our best wishes in your new command. You can count on our full
support and friendship.
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