ISTANBUL - NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Monday that the message of the NATO summit was that the Allies stood together against the security threats and challenges of the 21st century.
Scheffer held a press conference and noted that NATO was taking action to project security and build stability where it was needed today.
''And through our continuing - indeed never-ending - transformation process, NATO will remain the indispensable instrument to defend our freedom and our security,'' Scheffer stated.
Noting that allies have agreed, in accordance with United Nations (U.N.) Security Council's resolution no: 1546, to offer NATO's assistance to the Iraqi government with the training of its security forces, Scheffer stated that they would work out the details - the who, the where and the how - in the coming days and weeks between NATO nations, and with Baghdad as well.
''But the basic message is clear. Allies are united in their full support for the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Iraq and for strengthening of freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law and security for all the Iraqi people. By training Iraqi security forces and helping to develop their security institutions, we will bring forward the day that foreign forces are no longer required. That is a goal we all share. Thanks to the decisions taken here in Istanbul, and over the past days, NATO will help make it happen,'' Scheffer stressed.
Scheffer said that they must do everything possible to build bridges of trust and dialogue between strategically important regions of the world - including between the Euro-Atlantic community and the broader region of the Middle East.
''Istanbul is also a symbolic place for us to announce another major new initiative. It is vital, in this volatile world, that we build stronger relations between regions and between cultures. Turkey proves that this can be a success. It is a success we must build on,'' Scheffer noted.
Scheffer stated, ''allies have agreed that we deepen, and broaden, our relations with countries to the south - north Africa, Jordan and Israel, and the broader region of the Middle East.''
Stating that they would make their Mediterranean Dialogue more practical, more focused on substantial cooperation, Scheffer noted that he hoped they would see joint operations as well.
''We will also make an offer, beginning today, to open a security dialogue with interested countries of the broader region of the Middle East. Let me be clear. This is an offer, and only an offer, for a 2-way dialogue, on issues of mutual interest. For this bridge of communication to be strong, it must be built together,'' he stated.
Scheffer said, ''but I believe it will be strong. And I believe it is important. Because if we can help to break down misconceptions and build trust, that can only benefit our common security.''
''There are many other achievements of this Summit, so far. Allies have agreed to bring the SFOR mission to a successful conclusion by the end of the year,'' he noted.
Scheffer said that heads of state and government gave direction to implement a package of measures to better defend against terrorism - a threat with which this city and this country were grimly familiar.
(EÖ-AÖ) 28.06.2004