Hello everyone. Thank you for being here. It’s a pleasure to be here in Brussels for this NATO Summit, and I’d like to thank Prime Minister Michel for hosting us.

I’d also like to thank Secretary General Stoltenberg with whom I just met for his leadership with this important alliance. And I really do mean it when I say that this alliance, NATO, is important. In this day and age, NATO remains essential to maintaining global peace and security.

Our NATO partners are key allies as we work to foster increased global stability. We have acknowledged their importance by contributing to the creation of this institution and, since that time, we have demonstrated our strong commitment to it. Whether in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan or Libya, Canada has always answered the call. And that’s as true today as it has ever been.

We’ve taken on a key role in Latvia, leading one of the four multinational battle groups as part of NATO’s enhanced presence in Central and Eastern Europe. Canadian fighter jets have just started a tour in Iceland, providing NATO air policing and a Canadian frigate is currently sailing with NATO’s Maritime Group in the Mediterranean. These examples are but our latest efforts in our longstanding contributions to NATO. We will continue to be a core part of the alliance in the years and decades to come.

In less than two weeks Canada will release our defence policy review, a comprehensive roadmap for the future of our country’s military. It will clearly articulate where we’re headed over the next 20 years. This sweeping policy review has been a long time in the making and has involved extensive consultations. We’ve taken the time needed to get this right because our men and women in uniform deserve nothing less. This is a defence policy that Canadians can be immensely proud of.

This new policy will enable us to protect Canadians while also renewing our leadership role on the international stage. We have long been working with our partners to prevent conflict, maintain global stability and promote peace. One of the key aspects of this long-term plan is our continued commitment to our NATO allies, because we recognize how critically important this organization is.

NATO represents our shared values of democracy and the rule of law, as well as our international partnership in defense of those who need our help. And Canada will continue to step up as we always have, now and into the future.

I’m looking forward to a productive meeting later today with our NATO partners as we discuss pressing issues facing our alliance, including terrorism, and work together to chart a path forward.

Thank you again for being here.