| de vredessite / kernwapens 2010 | Rasmussen on Tallinn Ministerial: No decisions on NATO’s nuclear policy By Vredessite.nl April 19, 2010 - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen presented the programme for the Informal Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, which will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, on 22 and 23 April. He highlighted as priorities the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan, discussions on the Alliance’s new Strategic Concept, nuclear issues, missile defence, as well as NATO’s reform and enlargement. Nuclear policy In anticipation of the wish of European countries to reduce nuclear arms on their territories, Rasmussen said today: "One of the issues to be addressed in the Strategic Concept is NATO’s nuclear policy. In preparation for that, we will discuss nuclear issues in Tallinn. It is, of course, timely to have this discussion. Some important steps have been taken in recent weeks on nuclear issues: the new START Agreement between the US and Russia, the new US Nuclear Posture Review, and the Washington Summit on securing nuclear materials. This is a comprehensive set of steps towards reducing nuclear risks in the world, and President Obama deserves credit for the leadership he is showing on this. No decisions will be taken in Tallinn on NATO’s nuclear policy. But I do think the principles of the NATO discussion are already clear: first, that no Ally will take unilateral decisions; second, that as long as there are nuclear weapons in the world, NATO will need a nuclear deterrent. Of course, if we discuss deterrence, it also makes sense to talk about missile defence. My view on this is clear. I believe that, at our Lisbon Summit in November, NATO should decide to make missile defence of Alliance populations and territories a NATO mission – for three reasons:
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