At the ceremony, NATO Secretary General George Robertson called it "a vindication of the vision of all those who have, for many years, sought to anchor their countries firmly to a Europe with which they share democratic values" and "a testament to the hard work of all those who have been involved in turning that vision into a reality".
In cadrul ceremoniei, secretarul general NATO, George Robertson, a numit demersul "o justificare a viziunii tuturor acelora care pentru multi ani au incercat sa lege statele lor in mod ferm de o Europa cu idealuri democrate comune" si "o marturie a muncii intense a acelora care s-au implicat in transformarea in realitate a acestei viziuni".