HELSINKI — NATO should increase its connectivity with the wider world and be used as a forum for discussing global security issues, said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in a seminar in Helsinki, Finland on Thursday.
The one-day seminar connected with the drafting of NATO’s new strategic concept was organized by Finland and Sweden with the theme being Comprehensive Approach to Crisis Management.
The military is no longer the complete answer in today’s world, said Rasmussen when delivering a speech at the seminar, adding that successful crisis management requires a new compact between all different civilian and military actors.
He outlined the three steps that he believes are necessary for an effective approach: instill a new understanding of the need for better civil-military cooperation, build closer cooperation between all major institutions and NGOs at all levels, and increase NATO’s connectivity with the wider world.
Rasmussen emphasized that Afghanistan’s long-time peace and stability require positive engagement of other countries in this region, including Pakistan, India, China and Russia.
In an interview with Finnish Broadcasting Company on Thursday, Rasmussen said that NATO would like to launch real strategic cooperation with Russia, although they have disagreement over issues related with Georgia and NATO’s enlargement.
This is the first NATO seminar held in the capital city of a member country of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program. Experts from NATO, representatives of NATO member states and partner countries, and representatives of international organizations, research institutes and non-governmental organizations attended the seminar.
Finland is militarily non-aligned but joined the NATO Partnership for Peace program in 1994 and is taking part in the ISAF operation led by NATO in Afghanistan.
