NATO Summit (2009)
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| NATO Summit (2009) | |
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| Name | NATO Summit (2009) |
| Date | 3–4 April 2009 |
| Venue | Schloss Elmau |
| City | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| Country | Germany |
| Chair | Anders Fogh Rasmussen |
| Participants | 28 member states; 1 accession state |
NATO Summit (2009) was the 20th meeting of heads of state and government of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization held on 3–4 April 2009 at Schloss Elmau near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The summit coincided with the formal accession of Albania and Croatia to the North Atlantic Treaty, the selection of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as NATO Secretary General, and deliberations on operations in Afghanistan, relations with Russia, and the NATO Response Force. Leaders from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and other member states convened alongside representatives of international organizations and partner countries.
Background
The summit took place against the backdrop of the ongoing War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, and changing transatlantic politics following the 2008 United States presidential election and the 2007–2008 Global financial crisis. NATO ministers and heads of state had met at previous gatherings including the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest and the 2002 NATO summit in Prague, shaping the alliance’s transformation and enlargement. Tensions over missile defense and NATO–Russia relations, as well as commitments under the Lisbon Treaty for the European Union, contextualized deliberations at Schloss Elmau. The summit also followed the 2008 accession protocols for Albania and Croatia deposited after the NATO Bucharest Summit.
Preparations and Participants
Preparations involved national delegations from all 28 then-member states of North Atlantic Treaty Organization plus the incoming members. Heads of state included Barack Obama (represented by the United States delegation leadership), Gordon Brown, Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, Silvio Berlusconi, and leaders from Poland, Turkey, Spain, Greece, and Portugal. The North Atlantic Council and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly coordinated agendas alongside the European Council, the United Nations, and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) command. Security and protocol arrangements were managed with assistance from Bundeswehr units and local Bavaria authorities. Observers and partners included representatives from Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, and NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue participants such as Egypt and Israel, as well as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Contact Group on Afghanistan.
Agenda and Key Issues
Principal items on the agenda were the NATO-led campaign in Afghanistan, force posture including the NATO Response Force and surge options, enlargement with the accession of Albania and Croatia, and transatlantic burden-sharing amid the Global financial crisis. Delegates debated counterinsurgency strategy, the role of provincial reconstruction teams, and coordination with ISAF under ISAF leadership. Missile defense cooperation, energy security involving Russia and Ukraine, and cooperative security initiatives with Russia after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War were discussed, alongside cyber defense and resilience. NATO–European Union relations were addressed in the context of capabilities and NATO’s role in crisis management, with references to commitments made at the 2002 Prague summit and the forthcoming 2009 European Parliament elections.
Declarations and Outcomes
The summit culminated in a leaders’ communiqué endorsing the accession of Albania and Croatia as full members of the alliance, updating NATO’s operations mandate in Afghanistan, and endorsing plans for the NATO Response Force and capability development. Delegations confirmed support for a comprehensive approach to stabilization, including training of Afghan security forces in concert with ISAF partners such as Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, and United States. The communiqué addressed cooperation with Russia on practical issues while noting differences following the South Ossetia conflict, and affirmed commitments to missile defense research and cooperation with partners such as Poland and Romania. Leadership decisions included the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as Secretary General, succeeding Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and the adoption of measures to enhance interoperability among member militaries, including logistics, airlift, and intelligence-sharing arrangements with agencies like NATO Allied Command Operations.
Reactions and Impact
Reactions ranged from domestic political responses in capitals including Washington, D.C., London, Paris, and Berlin to commentary from think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the Royal United Services Institute. Supporters hailed enlargement as strengthening the alliance’s cohesion in the Balkans and its operational capacity in Afghanistan, while critics from parties in Croatia and Albania debated implementation of defense reforms required under accession. Relations with Russia remained cautious, with Moscow voicing concerns over NATO expansion and missile defense. The summit’s decisions influenced subsequent NATO actions at the 2010 NATO summit in Lisbon and affected discussions at the G20 regarding burden-sharing and security commitments. NATO military contributions and national caveats continued to shape ISAF operations, and the summit’s endorsements for capability development fed into defense procurement plans across member states.
Security and Logistics
Host nation security involved coordination between the Bundeswehr, the Federal Police (Germany), and local Bavarian emergency services, with perimeter control around Schloss Elmau and airspace management by Luftwaffe elements. Logistical arrangements encompassed secure communications provided by NATO Communications and Information Agency, transportation via regional hubs such as Munich Airport, and accommodations for delegations from member states including Canada and Turkey. Protest management saw coordination with civil authorities and policing resources from Bavaria and neighboring states, while contingency planning addressed potential cyber threats and airspace incidents under protocols of NATO Allied Air Command and Eurocontrol. The summit’s security posture reflected lessons from previous events such as the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest and large multilateral gatherings like the G8 summit.
Category:NATO summits Category:2009 conferences Category:2009 in Germany