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<TITLE>Foreword to ' the '94 NATO Workshop in Os, Norway</TITLE>
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<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+4">Foreword to the '94 NATO
Workshop</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+4">In Os, Norway</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+2">Admiral Torolf Rein</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">Chief of Defense of
Norway</FONT></FONT></I></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Norway is honored to have been
entrusted with the privilege of hosting the 1994 NATO Workshop and the
impressive group of distinguished persons who participated. For me
personally, it is a very special pleasure because the location that was
chosen for the Workshop happens to be--by coincidence--the very village
and area where I grew up. My childhood memories of this place are happy
ones, but they are mixed with the sad memories of the insecurity of war
and occupation.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">During World War II, our
peaceful fjord was a base and training area for submarines operating
against the Atlantic Sea Lines of Communication. The humiliating
experience of occupation and of being deprived of freedom and
self-determination taught the people of this country a lesson that gave
rise to our unanimous pledge: "Never again." We realized the
serious penalty of neglecting our defenses and how much we needed strong
and capable forces to prevent a new disaster. Most importantly, we were
made to see the truth that a small nation's security cannot be ensured by
relying only on non-alignment, neutrality, and a location geographically
remote from the main areas of conflict. Throughout the war years, we
urgently needed to join and be committed in collective and cooperative
defense with nations and peoples with whom we shared the common values of
democracy, human rights, and human dignity. Hence, in 1949, Norway became
one of the founding members of NATO and, ever since, has made NATO the
cornerstone of Norwegian security. Collective defense, allied support, and
the transatlantic link have been the indispensable parameters of our
security calculus and remain so to this day.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">The June 1994 commemoration of
the enormous sacrifices and historic events that unfolded on the beaches
of Normandy fifty years before reminds us that Europe has come a long way
since that time. And I have no doubt that NATO has been instrumental in
shaping the new Europe by eliminating the old, bad habits of European
power politics. Thus, the Alliance has been a stabilizing factor that has
contributed to peace and prosperity in all its member countries. Today, we
are also delighted to observe that adversaries from the Cold War era are
strong supporters of NATO. They believe that the Alliance still has the
potential for preserving peace and stability, not only in Western Europe
but in a new and undivided Europe. It was self-evident that the Alliance
had to adapt to a dramatically changed situation in Europe and I would
submit that it has been very successful in doing so.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Nevertheless, some still
question the continued relevance of NATO. Without any clear present
dangers, they doubt whether the Alliance's core functions can justify its
continuing existence. However, it should be known that NATO today does not
solely focus on its core functions. In the last two years, the Alliance
has broadened its scope of interest to include important responsibilities
as well. Peace operations, for example, have become a large part of its
work. And NATO has already demonstrated its great ability for planning and
discharging complex and demanding peacekeeping tasks. The Partnership for
Peace program and the Combined Joint Task Forces Concept are also
significant initiatives that will enhance and solidify NATO's position as
a prospective and relevant security community for members and partners
alike. Although we all agree that NATO should take on new roles and
responsibilities, it was indeed reassuring that the heads of state and
government at the January 1994 Summit reaffirmed the Alliance's enduring
core functions. In Norway, we applaud the summit's declaration on the
continued relevance of the core functions, because these functions are
indispensable to the security of our country.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">The NATO Workshop has become a
time-honored and authoritative forum for discussing and exchanging views
on security and the roles of NATO. I look back with great pleasure on last
year's Workshop in Budapest, which was an interesting and very encouraging
manifestation of NATO's position in a new Europe. More than ever before,
we need this forum and its broad participation by capable individuals from
different countries and professions to discuss without prejudice all
aspects of NATO. It is most satisfying to observe that the 1994 Workshop
has attracted new and interesting representatives from various nations. I
take that as a sign of widespread interest in the future of NATO. I also
believe that the Workshop deliberations could prove invaluable in
supporting those politicians and military people who are directly charged
with the Alliance's daily and demanding leadership tasks.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">While I do not expect this
Workshop to pay special attention to the security challenges of Norway, I
would still like to mention that we have much to defend in this country,
and that we need support from our allies to prevent crisis and war, and,
in the worst case, if we are challenged militarily. I must also admit that
we have not always been as peaceful as we are nowadays. In fact, many of
the Viking raids originated in this area, but we moved away from those bad
habits of power politics long ago and have settled into what you would
call more civilized activities. At the risk of being accused of bias, I
will point out that a small number of counties on our west coast, together
with Bergen, have become the heart of our regional economy. In these
counties, export value per capita is close to double the average in the
rest of the country. One hundred million tons of oil and gas are produced
each year, most of which is exported to several European countries. Also,
fish farming, metal industry, and associated exports, in addition to
considerable hydroelectric power production, are profitable activities
that add up to approximately 65% of the country's total export value. So,
we have more to defend here than meets the eye--more than the fresh air,
mountains, glaciers, and the midnight sun that tourist brochures tell you
about. While we cannot offer the midnight sun right in the Bergen area, I
do hope that workshop participants enjoyed the fresh and unpolluted air,
some of our natural resources, and, most importantly, our hospitality. We
hope that all visitors will feel at home and among friends--because you
really are. Our welcome then to Bergen, the "near-abroad," as we
call it in Oslo, and to the high-quality of life on the west coast. I hope
the Workshop deliberations in Norway were productive and rewarding,
because they support an enduring and good cause, NATO.</FONT></FONT> </P>
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