On Tuesday (22 September), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte travelled to the US State of Iowa.
In the afternoon Secretary General Rutte and the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker met the Governor of Iowa Kim Reynolds. Afterward, Mr Rutte and Mr Whitaker took part in a moderated conversation on NATO, hosted in Des Moines by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
"NATO may seem far away from America's heartland. But believe me, the two are inextricably linked - by history and by shared values", Mr Rutte said. "But NATO isn't just a lofty ideal. We're a deeply practical, roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-to-work Alliance. I'd like to think we're sort of Iowan in that way." The Secretary General outlined the benefits of NATO to the US and thanked Americans for their contributions to the Alliance. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening the defence industry.
On Wednesday the Secretary General and the Ambassador visited the Joint Force Headquarters of the Iowa National Guard at Camp Dodge. In their meeting with Adjutant General MG Stephen Osborn, they praised Iowa's troops for their service, including contributions to NATO exercises and missions, especially KFOR. From Iowa the Secretary General travelled to New York for the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
