Summit Meeting of NATO Heads of State and Government

President Obama's Town Hall Meeting in Strasbourg

• Full transcript of Remarks by President Obama at Strasbourg Town Hall
• White House Blog on the Town Hall in Strasbourg
• Location: Rhenus hall in exhibition park
• U.S. Embassy France: President Obama's visit to Strasbourg for the NATO Summit

Results of the NATO Summit

Philip H. Gordon, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs:

"In April, NATO, the most successful alliance in history, celebrated its 60^th Anniversary. Allies initiated a discussion of the Alliance’s future and tasked the Secretary General to launch a review of NATO’s Strategic Concept to insure that NATO is both prepared and equipped to meet the new security challenges of the 21^st Century, including extremism, terrorism, proliferation, insurgency, failed states, piracy, and cyber threats.
Also at the Summit, Allies welcomed Albania and Croatia as NATO’s newest members, reinforcing the message that NATO’s door remains open. The United States joined Allies in welcoming France’s return, after over 40 years, to the integrated NATO military command structure. France’s full participation in NATO is a symbol of a renewed European commitment to NATO. Finally, Allies selected former Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen as the next Secretary General of NATO, to lead the reform of the Alliance so that it retains the flexibility and resources required to meet the new challenges of our time.

The United States also remains unequivocally committed to our Article 5 commitment; we will not waiver from the enduring premise that an attack against one is an attack against all. As NATO Heads of State and Government reaffirmed at the Summit in Strasbourg-Kehl, “the strong collective defense of our populations, territory, and forces is the core purpose of the Alliance and remains our most important security task.” We will continue to support adequate planning, exercises, and training to ensure NATO has the capabilities to remain as relevant to the security of Allied populations in the 21^st century as it was in the 20^th century." Remarks on June 16, 2009

• President Obama’s Remarks at the NATO Summit - Remarks addressed to the delegations from Albania and Croatia
• Press Conference after the NATO Summit on April 4 - President Obama on NATO and Afghanistan

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO; French: Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord ("OTAN"); also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance, or the Western Alliance) is a military alliance, established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949. In accordance with that Treaty, the fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means. NATO is playing an increasingly important role in crisis management and peacekeeping.

U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO: Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder
Ivo H. Daalder was appointed the United States Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by President Barack Obama in May 2009. He was a Director for European Affairs on President Clinton's National Security Council staff from 1995 to 1997, where he was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy toward Bosnia.

Prior to being appointed to his current position, Ambassador Daalder was a Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, specializing in American foreign policy, European security and transatlantic relations, and national security affairs. full bio

The U.S. Mission to NATO: TransAtlantic Focus Newsletter Latest edition (June 10, 2009) l Archive
A Public Affairs Newsletter published and distributed by the Public Affairs Section of the United States Mission to NATO - Brussels.

Recent Speeches and Remarks by US Government Officials

• Remarks by the President on a New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan (March 27, 2009)
• Statement from President Obama welcoming France’s return to NATO’s military structure (March 21, 2009)
• Remarks by Vice President Biden to the NAC (March 10, 2009)
• Remarks by Vice President Biden at Joint Press Conference with NATO Secretary General (March 10, 2009)
• Q&A Session of Press Conference with Vice President and NATO Secretary General (March 10, 2009)
• Ambassador Kurt Volker “Secretary Clinton’s First Visit to NATO, NATO-Russia Relations, and Consulting with Allies on Afghanistan” (March 6, 2009)
• Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Remark after NATO Meeting (March 5, 2009)
• Defense Secretary Gates Reflects on the Changing Nature of NATO (February 19, 2009)
• President Obama’s Statement on Afghanistan (February 17, 2009)
• Vice President Biden Speech at Munich Conference on Security Policy (February 8, 2009)
• Remarks by National Security Adviser Jones at 45th Munich Conference on Security Policy (February 8, 2009)
• The United States and France Pledge Continued Transatlantic Alliance (Feburay 5, 2009) Remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
• President Obama letter to the Secretary General of NATO, and the Members of the North Atlantic Council (January 20, 2009)
→ More Speeches by U.S. Government Officials on Transatlantic Issues