Prime Minister Stephen Harper concludes successful NATO sumit in Wales
September 5, 2014 Newport, Wales Prime Minister’s Office
Introduction
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today marked the conclusion of a productive 2014 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit, which took place in Newport and Cardiff (Wales), United Kingdom, from September 4 to 5. The Summit was part of a broader visit to the U.K., which also saw the Prime Minister taking part in a bilateral program and Canadian trade mission in London.
During the Summit, Prime Minister Harper joined leaders from the 28 member countries as well as a number of non-NATO partner countries and international organizations to discuss key issues facing the Alliance and its partners. In considering NATO’s vital role, leaders stressed the importance of the Alliance’s capability, readiness and solidarity to ensure our security and to build stability in an unpredictable world.
Discussions included NATO’s response to Russian military aggression in Ukraine, the Alliance’s ongoing relationship with Afghanistan post-2014, as well as the broader global security environment, including the barbaric actions and expansionist agenda of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) which are further destabilizing the region and threatening global peace and security. Outcomes of the Summit were outlined in the Wales Summit Declaration.
The Prime Minister also met with the next Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg. During their meeting, he highlighted Canada’s contributions to the Alliance, notably the leadership role it has played since the onset of the crisis in Ukraine, and its ongoing commitment to ensuring that NATO remains modern, flexible, and ready to face the security challenges of the 21st century. He also underscored Canada’s contribution to the delivery of military supplies to security forces fighting ISIL in Iraq.
Finally, in a show of Canada’s ongoing support for the Alliance, the Prime Minister had the opportunity to witness the fly-by of a Canadian CF-18, as well as aircraft from a number of NATO Allied nations. Canadian CF-18’s are currently stationed in Lithuania from September to December 2014 to participate in the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission designed to enhance peace, security and stability in Central and Eastern Europe.
Quick Facts
• Canada is a founding member of NATO, and has been a major contributor to Alliance operations over the past 65 years. Canada has played a significant role in Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans and on the seas, and continues to provide modern, deployable capabilities to Allied missions and highly trained personnel to NATO’s command structure.
• Canada has been at the forefront of the international community’s response to the situation in Ukraine and is providing reassurance to NATO Allies by contributing aircraft, a ship and troops to promote security and stability in Eastern and Central Europe.
• Canada is also providing over $250 million to support Ukraine through the current crisis and to help implement key reforms and stabilize its economy, and has imposed sanctions against over 180 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities. Furthermore, Canada continues to provide training for Ukrainian military and civilian personnel through the Military Training Cooperation Program and has contributed non-lethal security assistance to Ukraine.
• On September 4, 2014, Prime Minister Harper announced support through the NATO Trust Funds, with a focus on building up Ukrainian command and control and communications and computer capabilities to assist in improving personnel management systems and reform logistics and standardization within the Armed Forces. In addition, the three NATO Centres of Excellence in the Baltic region – Cyber Security, Energy Security and Strategic Communications – will each receive support to help Baltic States strengthen the regional framework for addressing the crisis situation.
• On September 5, 2014, Prime Minister Harper announced the deployment of several dozen members of the Canadian Armed Forces to Iraq.
Quote
“The Wales Summit demonstrated the strength of our Alliance and our shared commitment to the values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. As one of NATO’s founding members and major contributing Allies, Canada will continue to uphold these values and contribute resources toward the fulfillment of NATO’s mission and objectives. Specifically, we will remain steadfast in our commitment to working with our NATO Allies in promoting stability and security in Central and Eastern Europe, and in particular in Ukraine.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Related Products
• CF-18 Fly-By
• Canada-NATO
Associated Links
• Wales Summit Declaration on Afghanistan
• Joint Statement of the NATO-Ukraine Commission
• Armed Forces Declaration by the NATO Heads of State and Government
• Wales Summit Transatlantic Declaration
• Wales Summit Declaration
• Prime Minister Harper announces support for NATO initiatives in Ukraine and Eastern Europe
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PMO Press Office 9/5/2014 |
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