Anniversaries are appropriate occasions to evaluate the past as well as to look to the future. The fiftieth anniversary of NATO, which was founded out of the ashes of the Second World War, should be more than a mere celebration of the uniqueness of NATO and its past achievements. It should bring about a forward-looking vision of the new NATO and its key role in helping to preserve peace and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic area. It is an opportunity to communicate to the general public the dramatic changes which have taken place over the past decade, as NATO itself also has evolved from an Alliance designed to prevent aggression to an anchor of peace and stability in this part of the world. NATO was able to accomplish this because it remained faithful to its original commitment to protect and safeguard not only the territories and peoples of its members, but also the principles of democracy and freedom, as stipulated in the Washington Treaty. And it remains able to do so also today because the peoples of the member countries are as ever faithful and committed to the North Atlantic ideals assured by our past achievements. We can therefore look forward to the future with confidence. The fundamental principle of the Alliance is commitment to mutual co-operation among equal and sovereign states based on collective defence and the indivisibility of the security of its members. Solidarity within the Alliance ensures that no member country is forced to rely upon its own national efforts alone in dealing with any security challenge.