8 January 2004

The Military Committee welcomes NATO's new Secretary General Multimedia Photos of the Military Committee welcoming the new Secretary General The Military Committee welcomed Mr. De Hoop Scheffer, NATO’s new Secretary General, during their meeting on 8 January 2004. General Kujat opened the meeting by informally escorting the Secretary General round the table and introducing him to each Military Representative. In his address he referred to the Military Committee as being “a unique body within NATO, particularly well placed to serve Alliance interests”. He acknowledged the “sterling work” carried out by the Military Committee in the past and stated his firm intention of “exploiting its capabilities in the future”. He went on to ask the Military Representatives to convey his sincere gratitude to the servicemen and women who have served both their own nation and the Alliance in such an outstanding manner: “We must never forget that the collective strength, success and credibility of NATO ultimately rest on the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines of the member nations’ armed forces, some of whom have, sadly, paid the ultimate price in the line of duty. It is therefore incumbent upon us to ensure that they receive our full support – not only our moral support, but also the resources they need to accomplish the missions we have set for them.”