DepMin of Defense: NATO'S Deterrence Capabilities Still Key

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TAGS: NATO KNNP PREL NO
SUBJECT: DepMin of Defense: NATO'S Deterrence Capabilities Still Key

CLASSIFIED BY: James T. Heg, Deputy Chief of Mission; REASON: 1.4(B),
(D)


1. (C) Meeting with DCM, PolOff and A/DAO before the February 26
release of the joint letter from five Foreign Ministers to NATO SYG
Rasmussen calling for a discussion on NATO's nuclear policy at the
upcoming Tallinn meeting, Deputy Minister of Defense Espen Barth
Eide strongly criticized news reports which portrayed the
initiative as an effort to remove all nuclear weapons from Europe.
Barth Eide said news reports were "completely flawed," adding that
deterrence remained an absolute core NATO competence. He said he
was pleased that Secretary Clinton had emphasized the importance of
deterrence several times in her January 22 speech during the NATO
new Strategic Concept seminar, adding that while there was "nothing
wrong" with out of area operations, but we also need to remember
key NATO's deterrence capabilities.




2. (C) Comment: Barth Eide seemed very concerned that the press
portrayal of the five country initiative would be misinterpreted,
and clearly wanted to show his continued support for nuclear
deterrence in Europe at this time. End Comment.




3. (U) Begin Text of Letter:



His Excellency

Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Secretary General to the

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

NATO Headquarters

Brussels



26 February 2010



Excellency,



In the Strasbourg Declaration on Alliance Security, Heads of State
and Government have stated that while deterrence remains a core
element of our overall strategy, NATO will continue to play its
part in reinforcing arms control and promoting nuclear and
conventional disarmament in accordance with the Nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty, as well as non-proliferation efforts.



The international agenda in the field of arms control, disarmament
and non-proliferation will converge in the spring of 2010. START
follow on negotiations are ongoing and the US Nuclear Posture
Review is expected to be published soon. We welcome the US
initiative for a nuclear security summit in April 2010. The NPT
review conference in May is a crucial milestone for strengthening
the international regime for nuclear disarmament and
non-proliferation.



We hope we will see further achievements in the area of disarmament
and arms control, i.a. the ratification of the CTBT, a fissile
material cut-off treaty (FMCT) and the inclusion of sub-strategic
nuclear weapons in subsequent steps towards nuclear disarmament.



Credible deterrence on the one hand and arms control, disarmament,
and non-proliferation on the other, must be seen as integral
elements of a comprehensive policy. NATO will have to continue to
pursue that policy in a balance and mutually reinforcing way, as
has been proven successful in the past.

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Arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation are higher on the
international agenda than they have been in many years. We welcome
the initiatives taken by President Obama to strive towards
substantial reductions in strategic armaments, and to move towards
reducing the role of nuclear weapons and seek peace and security in
a world without nuclear weapons. We believe that also in NATO we
should discuss what we can do to move closer to this overall
political objective.



Our meeting in Tallinn, which takes place on the eve of the NPT
Review Conference, provides us with an opportunity to open a
comprehensive discussion on these issues and to produce guidance
for the process on the new Strategic Concept. Belgium, Germany,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway therefore propose that you
include the topic of NATO's nuclear policy in our evolving security
environment in the agenda for that meeting.



We approach this discussion from a realistic point of view. Our
future policy requires the full support of all Allies. NATO is in
the process of defining its direction in an evolving security
environment. We consider our initiative as a contribution to this
discussion. This is an opportunity we should not miss.



Signed: Steven Vanackere, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Kingdom of Belgium, Guido Westerwelle, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jean Asselborn, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Maxime Verhagen,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the kingdom of the Netherlands,
Jonas Gahr Stoere, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of
Norway
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