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OTTAWA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) - The 2011 Halifax International Security Forum opened Friday in Canada's Atlantic port of Halifax, attracting leaders of the military, government, industry and academia from over 40 countries for a three-day discussion about security issues.
What is the next in the "Arab Spring" nations, the impact of the global financial crisis and the future of NATO were among the key issues on the agenda.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who gave the keynote speech, said that while the confrontation with the fiscal realities of limited resources, the United States does not intend to give up its status as the world's top military power had, but A new era had begun.
"The reality is that the U.S. military can not just be everything to all people," he said. "We will apply our resources to strengthen, improve our forces into the world and share our burdens, and more efficiently with our partners. Frankly And all our allies need to do the same."
Panetta said that members must be willing to step forward and do more, contribute more money to such assets, despite severe financial constraints.
"These challenging economic times is no excuse to walk away from our responsibilities for security," said Panetta. "I refuse to believe that we have to choose between fiscal responsibility and national security. Instead, we must work to ensure that NATO addresses the major shortcomings. "
He said the alliance needed to develop new capabilities to keep pace with emerging threats, even in an era of fiscal austerity.
Anne-Marie Slaughter, a former State Department policy planning director, said the U.S. still willing to help the Allies as needed, but it would not be at the forefront of trying to solve world problems.
Instead, the U.S. would depend on other countries to take the lead, like Britain, France, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates did in Libya, she said.
At the edge of the Forum, the Canadian National Defence Minister Peter MacKay held a meeting with Panetta topics such as NATO transformation efforts, preparations for the NATO-2012 Chicago Summit, Canada and the U.S. bilateral defense cooperation, and engagement in the hemisphere to broader security issues to discuss support capacity building initiatives, as well as Libya and Afghanistan.
"Maintaining the vicinity of the Canada-US defense partnership provides both countries with greater certainty than can be achieved individually," MacKay said after the meeting.
Panetta also said that Canada and the U.S. have worked closely to strengthen relations with countries in the Hemisphere and the Asia-Pacific, which he said was now a priority for his government cement.
MacKay and Panetta dismissed speculation that the budget pressure would cause their country to withdraw from the F-35 jet to buy.
Panetta caused a stir earlier in the week when he warned that the Joint Strike Fighter program, which Canada, the United States and seven other countries together to buy fighter jets from Lockheed Martin goes, could be on the chopping block if his department looking for savings.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, former German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a congressional delegation led by Senator John McCain and Sen. Mark Udall, and others will judge events in 2011 and look ahead to 2012.
Halifax International Security Forum was launched in 2009 as a forum for experts and decision makers to discuss new threats in a changing world.
What is the next in the "Arab Spring" nations, the impact of the global financial crisis and the future of NATO were among the key issues on the agenda.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who gave the keynote speech, said that while the confrontation with the fiscal realities of limited resources, the United States does not intend to give up its status as the world's top military power had, but A new era had begun.
"The reality is that the U.S. military can not just be everything to all people," he said. "We will apply our resources to strengthen, improve our forces into the world and share our burdens, and more efficiently with our partners. Frankly And all our allies need to do the same."
Panetta said that members must be willing to step forward and do more, contribute more money to such assets, despite severe financial constraints.
"These challenging economic times is no excuse to walk away from our responsibilities for security," said Panetta. "I refuse to believe that we have to choose between fiscal responsibility and national security. Instead, we must work to ensure that NATO addresses the major shortcomings. "
He said the alliance needed to develop new capabilities to keep pace with emerging threats, even in an era of fiscal austerity.
Anne-Marie Slaughter, a former State Department policy planning director, said the U.S. still willing to help the Allies as needed, but it would not be at the forefront of trying to solve world problems.
Instead, the U.S. would depend on other countries to take the lead, like Britain, France, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates did in Libya, she said.
At the edge of the Forum, the Canadian National Defence Minister Peter MacKay held a meeting with Panetta topics such as NATO transformation efforts, preparations for the NATO-2012 Chicago Summit, Canada and the U.S. bilateral defense cooperation, and engagement in the hemisphere to broader security issues to discuss support capacity building initiatives, as well as Libya and Afghanistan.
"Maintaining the vicinity of the Canada-US defense partnership provides both countries with greater certainty than can be achieved individually," MacKay said after the meeting.
Panetta also said that Canada and the U.S. have worked closely to strengthen relations with countries in the Hemisphere and the Asia-Pacific, which he said was now a priority for his government cement.
MacKay and Panetta dismissed speculation that the budget pressure would cause their country to withdraw from the F-35 jet to buy.
Panetta caused a stir earlier in the week when he warned that the Joint Strike Fighter program, which Canada, the United States and seven other countries together to buy fighter jets from Lockheed Martin goes, could be on the chopping block if his department looking for savings.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, former German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a congressional delegation led by Senator John McCain and Sen. Mark Udall, and others will judge events in 2011 and look ahead to 2012.
Halifax International Security Forum was launched in 2009 as a forum for experts and decision makers to discuss new threats in a changing world.
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