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<TITLE>Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony Dr. Kurt
Biedenkopf...Welcoming Remarks for '95 NATO Workshop</TITLE>
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<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+4">Welcoming Remarks</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+2">Minister-President of the
Free State of Saxony Dr. Kurt Biedenkopf</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">I want to welcome the NATO
Workshop to the Dresden Stadtschloss, one of the most important buildings
in old Dresden, currently under reconstruction. This castle was built in
the time of Augustus II, who reigned 300 years ago and to whom we owe many
of the baroque jewels that make Dresden a beautiful city. The castle was
destroyed, as were most of the buildings in Dresden, in the devastating
attack of 13 February 1945, an event which is commemorated yearly by the
population. The last commemoration, however--the 50th one--took place in
an atmosphere of friendship and understanding. It was highlighted by the
visit of the Duke of Kent and underlined by great interest on the part of
both Great Britain and the United States. Their commanding generals,
together with our German Chief of Armed Forces, laid a wreath at the
monument in the cemetery.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">These events mark another
wonderful step in the process of overcoming difficult situations and
becoming a European community. Now, Dresden is part of Germany, of course,
but also part of Europe. Saxony has been a governed territory for almost
1,000 years, and much of what the people identify with in their state,
their land, and their buildings has been influenced by outside sources.
Many treasures were assembled in the city, such as the Green Vault
Gallery, which are now part of Dresden's cultural heritage.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Yet heritage becomes worthless,
or at least unproductive, if it is not projected into the future. We are
therefore trying to find a synthesis between the cultural heritage of this
important and proud part of Germany and the future. This is why I am
particularly happy to welcome not only NATO member-countries but also
countries that lay east and southeast of the German border, and I look
forward to future cooperation beyond those borders that once divided
Europe between the East and the West.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT SIZE="+1"> </FONT> </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+2">Lord Mayor Dr. Herbert
Wagner</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Dresden, the capital of the Free
State of Saxony, has many faces. The city brings together art and culture
of European significance and is renowned for its economic and scientific
achievements. Dresden also plays a special integrative role both in
Germany, as we once more tread a common path, and in a united Europe.
Thus, it fills us with pride that the NATO Workshop chose Dresden as its
venue.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">I would like to tell you a
little story--a true one. In December 1989, Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited
the former GDR for the first time. He met then-Prime Minister Hans Modrow,
as well as the people of East Germany and the opposition groups. I had the
opportunity to talk for an hour with Helmut Kohl, and we discussed how
German reunification could occur. There were two issues: first, the
Deutsch Mark had to be introduced; second, the GDR had to leave the Warsaw
Pact and join NATO. In December 1989, these ideas were unthinkable, and no
one could imagine how such changes could take place. Since the Soviet
troops were still present at the time, it clearly would be many years
before the GDR could join NATO. Nonetheless, it happened, and
reunification is now a reality. For me, these events seem miraculous.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Five years after my meeting with
Helmut Kohl, our city is full of cranes--which may spoil the view for some
visitors. But Dresdeners find the outlook promising. The construction
business is booming as we rebuild the old town that was devastated by the
bombings of World War II--and subsequently damaged by socialist
architecture. Our great efforts are visible everywhere. The Church of Our
Lady, the Frauenkirche, deserves special attention. This gem of baroque
architecture, destroyed in 1945, will be rebuilt with the help of
donations from all over the world. Dresden is pleased to host this symbol
of reconciliation among nations.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">In 1930, preceded only by
Berlin, Hamburg, and Leipzig, Dresden ranked fourth among German cities
for its economic power. Now we are ranked about fiftieth, but we are
progressing. Today, we are fighting the heritage of communist rule,
including problems of unemployment and housing scarcity. Still, we are
optimistic. Renowned international companies such as AEG, German Airbus
Industries, and others are advancing Dresden's great traditions in science
and research and developing the education and skills of its citizens.
Thirty scientific institutes such as the prestigious Max Planck Institute
and an excellent technological university contribute to Dresden's
international reputation in science. Dreams of becoming the German Silicon
Valley are not far-fetched.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Long called the German Florence,
Dresden has captivated visitors throughout the centuries. Artists have
been inspired by the city's special appeal, the result of harmony between
its architecture and natural surroundings. The composers Richard Wagner
and Carl Maria von Weber spent many years in our city. Here, Schiller was
inspired to write his Ode of Joy. The Taschenbergpalais, where this year's
NATO Workshop is taking place, was also a cultural jewel and has now been
rebuilt as a luxury hotel. Dresden is an East German city that is
definitely undergoing change.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT SIZE="+1"> </FONT> </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+2">General Sir Jeremy
Mackenzie KCB OBE</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT SIZE="+0">On behalf of all participants at the 12th NATO
Workshop, I am delighted to thank Minister-President Kurt Biedenkopf for
his generosity in inviting us to the Dresden Stadtschloss. As an
Anglo-Saxon, I am very pleased that the Workshop could be held in the
capital city of Saxony. Secondly, I especially appreciate
Minister-President Biedenkopf's invitation to the Stadtschloss, because
that fine building exemplifies the remarkable reconstruction and the
rebirth of Dresden and the Free State of Saxony. All who have visited
Dresden admire the scale and the speed of its rebuilding, so I can do no
better than echo General Klaus Naumann's Workshop welcoming remarks when
he described the Taschenbergpalais, site of this year'sWorkshop, as a
place where trees were growing among the ruins until very </FONT><FONT>recently.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">The support by Dresden, Saxony,
and the federal government of Germany for this NATO Workshop has been
truly outstanding. Consequently, the Workshop was a marvelous occasion,
which set high standards that we will find very difficult to match in
future years.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">In addition, I was very pleased
to learn of a regional "Partnership for Peace" which is now
appearing in this area and which the Free State of Saxony has arranged on
its own with Poland and the Czech Republic--an effort that follows the
theme of our NATO Workshop. Finally, we appreciate the warmth of our
welcome to Saxony, not only by the government, but also by all the Saxons
who live in the beautiful city of Dresden.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT SIZE="+1"> </FONT> </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+2">Air Chief Marshal Sir
Michael Stear KCB CBE</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">We are grateful to the German
government for its invitation to stage the 12th NATO Workshop in the
beautiful city of Dresden--one of Europe's historical and cultural
crossroads. We are also grateful for the welcome and generosity of the
German Republic, the Free State of Saxony, and Dresden's Lord Mayor and
people. The Bundesrepublik and especially the Bundeswehr have given the
Workshop outstanding support. We also appreciate the Luftwaffe aircraft
that flew in the large contingent from Brussels and Mons and the German
officers, soldiers, and airmen who looked after every detail.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">On the first morning of the
Workshop, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General George Joulwan told us a
tale about hard-working people from the American midwest, concluding his
remarks with "Steady, boys, steady." We should take these words
to heart as we in NATO hurry with unaccustomed urgency to meet the
exciting challenges resulting from the "new world order" and
reflected in the rapid developments within the Alliance since the Brussels
Summit in January 1994.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">In my view, this Workshop has
already made a significant contribution to meeting those challenges. While
this forum was originally organized to address the problems involved in
political-military decision making, it has taken on a life of its own.
This is due to the wide and high-level participation of so many Partners,
the openness and frankness of our distinguished speakers, and the shrewd
intervention and debate that have characterized discussions. The Workshop
has provided a useful dimension to all the activities we are undertaking
under the umbrella of the PFP program.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Following the Workshop, which
has essentially been a debate at the diplomatic level, the Central Region
will be conducting another major event on this year's Partnership for
Peace calendar: the CENTRAL ECLECTIC Exercise. This seminar will address,
at the operational command level, the practical issues of working together
within a military peacekeeping framework--planning together, looking at
the Headquarters structure, and discussing the necessary command and
control questions, all within a strictly imaginary but sensibly generic
scenario. In these areas, the NATO Workshop has already proven its value
as a lead-up to the Exercise, enabling us to work together with Partners
and to learn from one another. We are indeed making steady, though
measured, progress.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Those involved in the massive
undertaking of reintegrating and rebuilding the "Neue Länder,"
however, have different riding instructions. In the beautiful city of
Dresden--one of the jewels in the crown of German culture and
architectural vision--we see the dynamic manifestation of what energy,
efficiency, and thoroughness can produce. In the Taschenbergpalais, rising
from the ruins and dark stains of recent history, we see the marvelous
fusion of artistic elegance and style combined with the highest-quality
construction and technical standards that we have come to associate with
and applaud as the hallmark of modern Germany.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">On behalf of SACEUR and all of
those participating in this 12th NATO Workshop, we say "Thank you"
for the hospitality and for the chance to witness in Dresden the
remarkable progress being achieved in Germany's great undertaking.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
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