19 February 2009 - NATO PA PRESIDENT JOHN TANNER STRESSES INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN DEALING WITH ECONOMIC AND SECURITY CHALLENGES AT 56 NATION OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

President Tanner called upon nations to cooperate in addressing the global financial crisis and not give in to nationalist or protectionist pressures.  The OSCE PA could help to ensure that “we coordinate our efforts to rebuild confidence in our financial markets and prevent crises from escalating further. “

He echoed the theme of broad-based cooperation in calling for enhanced collective efforts to restore security and stability to Afghanistan.

Noting that NATO took the lead in providing security and training Afghanis to provide for their own security, he stressed that the challenges were neither solely military nor just to NATO alone.  “The United Nations, the European Union, and the international community at large must increase their engagement to promote Afghanistan ’s political and economic development. Ultimately, our success in confronting these challenges will be determined by our ability to cooperate and work together. Individual efforts are simply not enough”.

Speaking as the head of the United States delegation to the NATO PA, Mr Tanner recalled the words of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the Munich Security Conference in early February when he said that the United States was committed to acting preventatively, not preemptively, and would draw upon all its resources – diplomatic as well as military – to stop crises from occurring before they are in front of us.  “The United States is ready to work with our partners and to listen to all those willing to talk…  The United States is back open for business for all those willing to reach out their hand.”