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Dear Ministers, Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to welcome you in the historic Vilnius Town Hall – the place that was at the heart of the social, cultural and political life of the city and the whole country for more than 6 centuries. Exactly ten years ago, on 18-19 May 2000, this room had witnessed one of the most significant moments in our region’s recent history. Six Foreign Ministers and two Deputy Foreign Ministers of the NATO aspirant countries signed the Vilnius Statement, undertaking the commitment to the creation of a Europe whole and free in an alliance with countries of Europe, the United States and Canada. As a result, the Vilnius 10 group was established.

The Vilnius 10 initiative was definitely a success. It provided a strong proof that aspirant countries were ready to contribute to building Euro-Atlantic security through cooperation rather than confrontation and by looking for an agreement rather than drawing new lines of division. By deciding to work together even before their accession, the aspirants passed a vital test demonstrating their readiness to join a consensus based organization, where countries constantly shape their interests in order to reach common ground.

Has the Vilnius group fulfilled its purpose? For the big majority of its members the answer would definitely be yes. For those who are still to join the Alliance, the feelings are probably less certain. Therefore, I wish to highlight the spirit of united effort, coordination and perseverance as the main features of the Vilnius process.

A decade after the start of the Vilnius 10 initiative I can confidently say that there are lessons to be learned from this experience. First and foremost, we have learnt that by starting to work together the aspirants were able to advance and facilitate their integration. All countries that seek to join NATO are, no doubt, diverse and will be judged on their own merits when the Allies decide to invite them to join the North Atlantic Council. However, all the aspirants share a common goal – increased security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. This common cause could once again become a powerful catalyst to unite their efforts.

Ten years on, Europe is certainly very different. NATO has welcomed 9 and the EU – 12 new members and both enlargements have been a historic achievement that reshaped European security, expanded the area of stability and brought us closer to the ideals of Europe whole and free. At the same time, some things remain unchanged. NATO continues to be the essential transatlantic security forum among Allies. Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and collective defence, based on the indivisibility of Allied security, is still the cornerstone of the Alliance. And finally, NATO’s door remains open for all European democracies, which share its values, which are willing and able to assume the membership responsibilities and whose inclusion can contribute to common security and stability.

Euro-Atlantic security is based on a framework of interlocking institutions tying together the countries of Europe and North America. At the core of this framework is a comprehensive set of agreed principles and commitments, including territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, host nation consent as well as the right of states to freely decide on their own security arrangements.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In 2000, the international conference that led to the Vilnius Statement was titled “NATO's Role in the Changing Security Environment in Europe”. Yet the name of this conference would be equally appropriate today as the Alliance remains the foundation of the collective defence of its members and continues to play a vital role in the ever changing Euro-Atlantic security environment.

Currently NATO is at an important milestone of adaptation in order to better address today’s threats and to anticipate tomorrow’s risks. The New Strategic Concept will be of critical importance in shaping NATO’s future.

As we all know, the group of experts under the leadership of Madame Madeleine Albright presented its recommendations as to what this new NATO’s long term strategy should contain. We are glad to hear that fundamental core tasks of the Alliance remain as relevant as ever. We also note with satisfaction the clear reaffirmation of the Open Door policy among the findings of the group. This way the experts have only reaffirmed what the Heads of State and Government clearly stated in Strasbourg and Kehl last year: “NATO’s enlargement has been an historic success in bringing us closer to our vision of Europe whole and free”.

Let me wish that this recognition of the value of NATO’s open door philosophy dissipates the fatigue and guides us all in the future, as the current aspirants - [Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Georgia] - undertake necessary steps towards their membership.

In conclusion, I hope that our discussions today will reaffirm a strong belief enshrined in the Vilnius Statement that the Euro-Atlantic integration of each democracy is a success for us all, because it facilitates the creation of a free, prosperous and undivided Europe.

Thank you.