Anders Fogh Rasmussen quotes

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician who served as the Prime Minister of Denmark and as Secretary General of NATO. His leadership was marked by significant contributions to international security and European integration. He continues to influence global policy through his advisory roles and public speaking. Here are 21 of his quotes:

The good thing is that all the symbolic elements are gone, and that which really matters - the core - is left.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

I was deeply distressed that the cartoons were seen by many Muslims as an attempt by Denmark to mark and insult or behave disrespectfully towards Islam or Mohammed.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Iraq has WMDs. It is not something we think, it is something we know. Iraq has itself admitted that it has had mustard gas, nerve gas, anthrax, but Saddam won't disclose. He won't tell us where and how these weapons have been destroyed. We know this from the UN inspectors, so there is no doubt in my mind.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Nato allies have been looking at various missile-defence options for some time. Nato itself is developing protections for our deployed troops.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

But Iran has gone far beyond what is necessary for a purely civilian programme. It has concealed several nuclear facilities from the International Atomic Energy Agency, played hide-and-seek with the international community, and rejected all offers of co-operation from the U.S., the EU, and others.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Actually I can't imagine Nato troops on the ground and I think it's also important to send that very clear message to the UN and other organisations right now so that appropriate plans can be in place in due time and the Gaddafi regime can collapse soon.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

More than forty years of Communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe resulted in an unhappy and artificial division of Europe. It is this dark chapter of European history that we now have the opportunity to close.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

I often use Sweden as a discouraging example to promte a free and open debate and maintain a strict immigration policy.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

It could never happen in Denmark, Danish people are much more calm than those further south.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

The Americans provide still more advanced military assets and equipment; the Europeans are lagging behind. And eventually it will be difficult to co-operate even if you had the political will to co-operate because of the technological gap.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Europe should stick to an open economy, to competition and we should refuse protectionism. It will not save one single job in the long run to protect non-competitive industries.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is a threat to both the Nato allies and Russia.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

We're strongly in favor of the U.N. plan for a solution to the Cyprus conflict. Hopefully a solution can be found before the end of this summit, but we cannot and will not let it block our decisions on enlargement.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

I know very well that Berlin attaches great importance to NATO and solidarity, in terms of sharing the burden. For this reason, I feel confident that the German government will take the right decision, one that serves both German and NATO interests.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

I think President Karzai realizes exactly how important it is to strengthen the fight against corruption in the country now, step up endeavors to stop the drug trade and to deliver better governance. He said as much in his inaugural address.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Iran also has an extensive missile development programme. Iranian officials declare that the range of their modified Shahab-3 missiles is 2,000km, putting allied countries such as Turkey, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria within reach.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Ten years ago U.S. defence investment represented almost half of all defence expenditure in the whole alliance. Today it is 75%. This increasing economic gap may also lead to an increasing technology gap which will almost hamper the inter-operability between our forces.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

It is the responsibility of Afghanistan's new government to gain better control over the country's administration and to resolutely fight the drug trade and corruption.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen