The King calls on NATO leaders not to fall into pessimism in the face of new and old threats

Felipe VI vindicates Spain as a reliable partner of the Alliance and its contribution in these 40 years

MADRID, 28 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

King Felipe VI defended this Tuesday that pessimism cannot be an option at a time when the world is facing old threats, such as Russia, combined with new ones, urging NATO leaders to look to the future with determination to be able to provide its citizens with the security and peace they yearn for.

Don Felipe has started the toast to those attending the dinner remembering the previous occasion in which Spain hosted a NATO summit, in 1997. Then, the host at the dinner was his father, Juan Carlos I, but as he has also highlighted produced "in times of intense change and remodeling not only in Europe".

On that occasion, the Alliance took "the first steps" in its expansion to the countries of Eastern Europe in the hope of leaving the Cold War behind. "We cannot ignore the deep symbolism of these two historical moments in which Spain and the city of Madrid have welcomed NATO for their annual summit", he stressed.

At that time, "a spirit of optimism" prevailed after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but now "the geostrategic reality has radically changed", he acknowledged, and "we are facing the fusion of both old and new threats", in allusion to Russia in the first term to Russia.

Don Felipe has once again denounced the "unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine" and has expressed words of appreciation for the Ukrainians, underlining that "no country is not affected by this war", but has also recalled that "the scourge of terrorism" still persists and its "human and moral consequences, both inside and outside our borders."

The international system is undergoing "a profound transformation, which entails some risks that could strike at the very heart of free, plural and democratic societies" and hybrid and cyber threats are emerging, the monarch stressed, warning of the impact they could have .

"The strategic optimism of 1997 should open the way not to pessimism but to strategic realism", Felipe VI assured, defending that the summit hosted by Madrid should look to the future and "offer the conviction, the direction and the instruments to adapt to this new strategic reality and to walk with determination towards a future in which our societies can feel safe and live in peace".

Don Felipe has once again insisted on his message of unity among the allies, to whom he has warned that "the magnitude of the challenges we face requires that we extend this unity to a whole series of strategic partners with whom we share values, principles and objectives.

Finally, the King has vindicated Spain's role within NATO in its 40 years of membership, "a country that looked, and continues to look, to the north and south, east and west" and that "has honored its responsibilities" in these four decades.

The monarch recalled the words spoken by the then president, Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, at the 1982 summit, the first attended by Spain, assuring that he would be "an active and loyal member." "These words have particular resonance today," he stressed.

"I am proud to declare that Spain continues to be a loyal member of NATO" and continues to be a country "committed to defending and promoting the most fundamental achievements of our societies: democracy, individual freedoms, human rights and the rule of law".

Don Felipe finished by predicting that the Madrid summit "will go down in history" and thanking the Alliance for choosing Spain as "the place to write this new chapter, destined to help us navigate towards the future and these uncertain and unexplored waters" .