New Year message

NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY · ASSEMBLÉE PARLEMENTAIRE DE L’OTAN
INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT · SECRÉTARIAT INTERNATIONAL
Place du Petit Sablon 3
B-1000 Brussels
T. +32 2 504 81 55
E. president@nato-pa.int
www.nato-pa.int
THE PRESIDENT
LE PRÉSIDENT
TO ALL MEMBERS
11 January 2024
Dear colleagues and friends,
At the start of this new year, I would like to convey my best wishes to all of you for a happy,
healthy and successful 2024 and to share some thoughts about what I see as our main
priorities for the year ahead.
First of all, let me thank you again for entrusting me with the office of President of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly and for the support and trust I have felt since then.
Since my election, I have made Ukraine my top priority and I will remain focused on our support
for Ukraine in 2024.
My first presidential activity was to address the 2nd Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea
Platform in Prague at the end of October. In November, I travelled to Kyiv, together with the
Co-Chair of UNIC, Audronius Azubalis, and our Secretary General, Ruxandra. There I
addressed the Verkhovna Rada as part of the commemoration of the 90th
anniversary of
Holodomor. I also met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk,
Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov and our colleagues from the Ukrainian delegation.
In the past few days, Russia has launched some of its most massive attacks against Ukraine,
causing terrible loss and destruction. Once again, Russia demonstrates its total disregard for
human life. Its terrorist regime continues relentlessly to target civilian infrastructure and urban
centres.
Incidents at the Romanian and Polish borders involving Russian drones and missiles also
show that Russia is prepared to take reckless risks as it escalates its attacks against Ukraine.
We cannot waver in our support for Ukraine. I hope I can count on your continued, determined
support throughout 2024. If we don’t mobilise enough resources to help Ukraine defeat the
aggressor today, NATO members will pay a much higher price tomorrow. Russia must be
defeated. We must stand with Ukraine until victory. We must also offer a clear vision for the
European order after Ukraine’s victory: Ukraine belongs in NATO and in the EU. And we must
redouble our efforts to help it advance towards membership in both. I strongly welcome the
European Council’s historic decision last month to open accession negotiations with Ukraine
and hope that we can also help advance Ukraine’s NATO membership path in 2024.
We will discuss all these priorities with our Ukrainian colleagues at the next meeting of UNIC
on 29 January in Brussels.
Offentligt
NPA Alm.del - Bilag 3
NATO's Parlamentariske Forsamling 2023-24
NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY · ASSEMBLÉE PARLEMENTAIRE DE L’OTAN
INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT · SECRÉTARIAT INTERNATIONAL
Place du Petit Sablon 3
B-1000 Brussels
T. +32 2 504 81 55
E. president@nato-pa.int
www.nato-pa.int
THE PRESIDENT
LE PRÉSIDENT
-2-
This year marks NATO’s 75th anniversary. The July NATO Summit in Washington DC must
showcase a united and resolute Alliance which delivers. We must continue to press for
concrete decisions on NATO adaptation. This must include further steps on NATO’s
deterrence and defence, on defence spending and burden sharing, on Ukraine’s membership
path, and importantly, on defending our democratic values. I will carry the torch lit by our former
President Gerry Connolly: NATO needs a Democratic Resilience Centre at its Headquarters.
I will also do my part in encouraging swift ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership, and I
urge all of you to do the same. It has been 18 months since all Allies invited Sweden to join. It
is time to finalise the accession process. I welcome that the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly approved the ratification bill for Sweden’s accession at the
end of 2023. I respectfully ask our Turkish and Hungarian colleagues to use their influence to
complete ratification without further delay.
In 2024, we must also keep our eyes firmly on our Southern neighbourhood, which is in turmoil,
as I saw first-hand when I travelled to Israel in early November to convey the Assembly’s firm
condemnation of Hamas’ horrific 7 October attacks. We have an opportunity to help shape
NATO’s future relations with this strategically important region: The independent group of
experts, appointed by the NATO Secretary General to develop options for strengthening
NATO’s relations with the South, asked for our input. A first exchange of views took place on
the margins of the Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum last month. This is a reflection on the
positive role the Assembly plays in furthering NATO adaptation.
Once again, many thanks for your support and your friendship. We have important work ahead
of us in 2024 to further strengthen the Alliance and our unique transatlantic bond, to
operationalise our commitment to shared democratic values and to support Ukraine on the
path to victory and to NATO membership. Let’s make 2024 a year of unity, determination &
action!
Yours sincerely,
Michal SZCZERBA
President