Secretary General meets with President Bush

Meeting with President George W. Bush in the White House on 10 November, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called for a strengthened political dialogue in NATO, saying it is a “unique forum”.

Mr. De Hoop Scheffer congratulated President Bush on his re-election and stressed that “NATO is the unique transatlantic forum where the big challenges we are facing in the world today should be discussed. And NATO is the only organization which can deliver.”

“This is the first meeting I've had since my re-election with a leader from overseas. I'm proud you're the person, Secretary General, because, first of all, I've got a very close personal relationship. I've come to admire his leadership and his fortitude. And secondly, my nation is committed to a strong and vibrant NATO,” President Bush told reporters during a joint press conference after the meeting.

A unique transatlantic bridge

The Secretary General was in Washington D.C. for talks on key issues on NATO’s agenda with President Bush and senior members of his Cabinet and National Security team.

In the meeting with President Bush, Mr. De Hoop Scheffer stressed that NATO is the most effective way for Allies to meet their 21st century requirements, more so than going it alone or coalitions of the willing. In Afghanistan, Kosovo, and through training assistance to Iraq, the Alliance is delivering on its commitments, he said.

“There is no second forum, there's no second organization in the world like NATO, where 26 democracies are defending values: democracy, respect for human rights, freedom of religion, and all those basic values which are at the heart of all these 26 societies,” the Secretary General told reporters in his statement after the meeting.