Assistant Secretary Philip H. Gordon today said question of the economic crisis obviously looms large for Europe and the United States during an interview with Bernardas Gailius of LTV.
“There’s no doubt that the United States is reducing its defense budget, as are a number of European countries. That is simply a reality. “ -Mr Gordon
He noted that the U.S. government is going to have to find ways to spend more efficiently.
“One of the things that means is we need to do it more collectively within NATO.” -Mr. Gordon
He stressed that the United States has a profound interest in Europe’s economic success. He said it is U.S. biggest trade and investment partner.
“We’re obviously following the economic crisis in Europe closely, but we are confident that European leaders understand the urgency of the situation and have the means to deal with it.” -Mr. Gordon
He noted that the United States will be hosting the next NATO Summit in Chicago in May. He said one of U.S. big priorities for that summit are initiatives that the NATO Secretary General calls smart defense which will allow to pool resources and spend scarce defense dollars and euros more efficiently.
“So we have some programs in mind to do that. One of them, by the way, supports the Baltic air policing which is a good example of how some allies with certain capabilities can help others who may not have the same capabilities.” -Mr. Gordon
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium. The organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.
