THERE.
NILE GARDINER.
>> THANK YOU, DAVID.
DAVID: PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLING
OUT IRAN AND OTHER NATIONS TO
STEP UP.
TO NATO GENERAL SECRETARY
JENS STOLTENBERG HAVING LUNCH
WITH THE PRESIDENT NEXT HOUR.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WHAT WILL YOU DISCUSS WITH THE
PRESIDENT?
I KNOW IRAN IS SLIGHTLY A FAR
DISTANCE FROM WHAT NATO DEALS
WITH, THAT WILL BE ON THE
AGENDA?
>> MANY ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT
WHEN WE DISCUSS NATO AND THE
UNITED STATES.
THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IS
THAT A STRONG NATO IS GOOD FOR
EUROPE BUT IT IS ALSO GOOD FOR
THE UNITED STATES.
THE UNITED STATES IS A STRONGER
NATION BECAUSE THROUGH NATO THE
NIGHTS HAS MANY FRIENDS AND
ALLIES.
IRAN IS ALSO AN ISSUE.
ALL ALLIES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
IRAN'S SUPPORT OF DIFFERENT
TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.
THEIR DESTABLIZING POLITICS IN
THE WHOLE REGION AND OF COURSE
THEIR MISSILE PROGRAM.
WHILE IT IS AGREED IRAN SHOULD
NEVER BE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
DAVID: IS THERE A ROLE FOR NATO
IF IN FACT THE SITUATION BETWEEN
IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA GETS EVEN
HOTTER?
>> NATO IS PRESENT IN THE REGION
WITH A TRAINING MISSION IN IRAQ
BUT WE DON'T, AND SO NATO ALLIES
ARE PRESENT IN THE STRAITS OF
HORMUZ AND THE GULF BUT THERE IS
NO CALL FOR A NATO MISSION,
THROUGH THE NATO ALLIANCE IN THE
STRAITS OF HORMUZ.
DAVID: RIGHT.
>> THEREFORE I'M NOT SPECULATING
ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT
ADDS TO UNCERTAINTY.
WHAT WE NOW WE NEED TO TRY TO
DE-ESCALATE AND NOT SPECULATE
POTENTIAL NATO ROLE.
DAVID: AS YOU WELL KNOW,
MR. SECRETARY-GENERAL, THE
UNITED STATES AND EUROPE HAVE
VERY DIFFERENT VIEWS HOW TO DEAL
WITH IRAN.
THE EUROPEANS WANTED THE UNITED
STATES TO STAY IN THE AGREEMENT
THAT WAS MADE BY THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION, NOT RATIFIED BY
THE U.S. CONGRESS.
DOES THAT INTERFERE WITH ANY
HELP THE UNITED STATES MAY TRY
TO GET FROM THE EUROPEANS
SPECIFICALLY PUTTING TOGETHER A
COALITION?
>> WELL, IT IS A WELL-KNOWN FACT
THAT IN NATO THERE ARE SOMETIMES
DIFFERENCES SURROUNDING THE
NUCLEAR DEAL.
HOWEVER I THINK THE STRENGTH OF
NATO IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO
OVERCOME DIFFERENCES AND UNITE
BEHIND OUR CORE VALUES TO
PROTECT AND DEFEND EACH OTHER.
WHEN IT COMES TO IRAN THERE IS
NO CALL FOR A NATO PRESENCE BUT
NATO ALLIES IN THE REGION AND
WE -- TO DISCUSS, ANALYZE THE
SITUATION IN IRAN AND THE
FOREIGN MINISTER MEETING AND
DEFENSE MINISTER MEETING IN
NATO.
WE DISCUSSED THE INCREASED
TENSIONS IN THE REGION AND I
HAVE, NATO HAS STRONGLY
CONDEMNED THE DRONE ATTACKS ON
THE SAUDI ARABIA OIL FACILITIES.
>> WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE
THE GREATEST THREAT TO NATO AT
THIS MOMENT?
>> I THINK THE GREATEST
CHALLENGE WE SEE IS
UNPREDICTABILITY, UNCERTAINTY.
FOR MANY YEARS NATO HAD ONE
CHALLENGE.
THAT WAS THE SOVIET UNION BUT
NOW THE SOVIET UNION DOESN'T
EXIST ANYMORE BUT WE HAVE MUCH
MORE COMPLEX, A MUCH MORE
UNPREDICTABLE SECURITY
ENVIRONMENT.
MY MAIN MESSAGE THERE IS WHEN WE
SEE MORE UNCERTAINTY, THEN WE
NEED STRONG INTERNATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS AS NATO, BASED ON
THE CORE IDEA, ONE FOR ALL, AND
ALL FOR ONE.
THAT HAS KEPT ALL NATO'S ALLIES
SAFE AND SECURITY FOR 70 YEARS.
NO NATO ALLY HAS BEEN ATTACKED
BY ANOTHER NATION BECAUSE ANY
POTENTIAL, IF THEY ATTACK A NATO
ALLY THE WHOLE ALLIANCE WILL
RESPOND.
THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP US
SAFE.
DAVID: OF COURSE WHY SO MANY
EUROPEAN NATIONS WHICH WERE
UNDER THE SOVIET CONTROL WANTED
TO GET INTO NATO.
OF COURSE ONE OF THOSE NATIONS
IS UKRAINE.
IT HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS.
I WON'T ASK FOR YOUR OPINION ON
THE POLITICAL SITUATION BUT THEY
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BECOME A
PART OF NATO FOR A WHILE.
WILL UKRAINE BECOME A PART OF
NATO?
>> NATO HAS SAID THAT WE WILL
SUPPORT UKRAINE'S REFORMS MOVING
TOWARDS MEMBERSHIP BUT WE DON'T,
WE DON'T HAVE A DATE.
WHAT WE DO IS THAT WE PROVIE
STRONG POLITICAL SUPPORT TO
UKRAINE, STRONG PRACTICAL
SUPPORT TO UKRAINE.
JUST RECENTLY ACTUALLY DECIDED
TO STEP UP THE SUPPORT FOR
UKRAINE BECAUSE UKRAINE IS CLOSE
PARTNER AND WHEN OUR NEIGHBORS
ARE MORE STABLE WE ARE MORE
SECURE AND THEN I THINK IT IS
TOO EARLY TO SAY WHEN THEY WILL
BECOME A MEMBER.
DAVID: MR. SECRETARY-GENERAL, I
KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF
APPOINTMENT TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL