Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My questions are primarily directed at Mr. Hobbs.
Mr. Hobbs, thank you very much for putting the political component of NATO front and centre as this committee contemplates and frames its report.
I want to start by reading you a quote from Ambassador Gábor Iklódy who, back in 2010 at the summit, was assistant secretary for emerging security challenges. He said:
NATO must develop a culture of political discussion which is not confined to issues that directly involve NATO militarily, but which also includes issues that may have “only” political relevance. As long as every debate in NATO is viewed as preparing military operations, a forward-looking, enlightened debate about emerging 21st century challenges will remain elusive.
In light of what you told us about what the alliance actually stands for—civilization, democracy, liberty, and rule of law—are you actually saying quite a bit more than Ambassador Iklódy said? Could you answer that question with a view to how unified the view of what NATO stands for is in 2018?