The Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Admiral James Stavridis, speaking at an event hosted by the Security and Defence Agenda in Brussels, Belgium 7 Dec.
In a wide ranging address, Admiral Stavridis emphasised the enduring commitment to collective defence enshrined in NATO's founding charter saying "however the new strategic concept for NATO unfolds you will find article V at the heart of it”. He also spoke about the opportunities and challenges he sees in NATO's future as well as providing a roundup of current operations. In an on the record session, he answered questions from a audience of over 120 Brussels based military, political and media figures. Responding to questions, he insisted that NATO is "not in Afghanistan to occupy it” and that the aim is to focus on training the Afghan National Security forces in order to allow us to transfer responsibility for assuring security.