In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, shares his views on the European Union’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, a role established by the Treaty of Lisbon, which came into force on 1 December 2009.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, gives his views on the Europe of defence and armaments, adding that he believes that the European Union should step up its commitment within NATO.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, shares his thoughts on the neutral status of some European Union Member States in connection with the establishment of a Europe of defence. He reiterates his view that the European Union should strengthen its links with NATO.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, gives his views on the ‘Berlin Plus’ agreements between NATO and the European Union in 2003.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992, Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, explains his view that the solution for the deepening of the European Union is to adopt a multi-speed approach.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Minister for Economic Affairs from 1973 to 1974, from 1977 to 1982 and from 1988 to 1992, Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, shares his views on the question of Turkey’s accession to the European Union. He believes that neither Turkey nor the European Union is ready to take this step.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, discusses the decision taken by Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic from 2007 to 2012, that France would return to the NATO integrated military command in 2009.

In this interview excerpt, Willy Claes, Belgian Foreign Minister from 1992 to 1994 and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) from 1994 to 1995, gives his views on the dissolution of Western European Union (WEU) in 2011. He believes that WEU played a considerable political role but failed to play a role at military level.