 Thank you very much. Thank you for your very kind words and thank you for giving me the opportunity to exchange with you on my sorts as to the way the European Defence is moving, is tackling issues. It's an honour for me to share some sorts with you and particularly because I am convinced that the European Union is not only built in Brussels but also in each member states. The Irish Presidency gives us a fine example of this commitment and let me pay tribute to the way you are conducting it with the world to ask many different questions and to foster new ideas like EU-U.N relations which is of great importance. The past is of no importance. The present is of no importance. The future is what we have to deal with. Said Oscar Wilde. If the analysis of your distinguished Irish writer holds all the more true in the globalised world we live in, I must admit that to project ourselves into the future and particularly long-term goals is a difficult exercise. The nature of our world is such that we will later seem obvious is still opaque and unpredictable today. How will Europe emerge from the euro crisis? How member states will face the strategic surprise which is not only economical but now social and environmental and security related to so many challenges that we have to face. However, as we are well aware, if we refuse to think about the future and to anticipate its turbulence, we will be sentenced to the likely consequences. So what are these turbulences? It is obvious that preoccupations in Ireland are not the same as in Bulgaria, as in Estonia, as in Cyprus, or as in Spain where I have recently been. Each country is different and the overall picture is complex. We have different perceptions of threats and needs, different attitudes regarding our missions and role in the world and different needs as customers and producers of defence equipment. We also know that security is broader than defence, but defence is however an essential part of our security and the threats concern us all. For instance, recent events in Boston or in Algeria in the gas plant reminded us that transnational terrorism is able to strike at the heart of our societies, of our partner countries, but also of our European interests abroad. In the same way, organised crime, trafficking in human beings, arms, drugs, sustains trouble spots at the eastern and southern borders of Europe, as well as in the operational areas where our forces are committed. Furthermore, there has been unprecedented levels of cyber attack over the past 24 months. Therefore, the protection of cyberspace is a major challenge we must absolutely answer collectively, in particular by developing systems for situation awareness, for warning and prevention, for information sharing and of course for response and resilience. Other threats such as piracy affect our maritime security and have an impact on European strategic interest as they disrupt the flow of supplies. Finally, by speeding up trade of all kinds, globalisation has created new challenges too. Competition for access to natural and energy resources are already influencing our defence and security policies. However, if Europe has security interests beyond its immediate neighbourhood, it is also in its interest that the countries on its borders are well governed. Today, all the security challenges require response that are beyond the means of individual states. They also require efficient and innovative responses that can contribute to international stability and to the security of Europe. The first word of Schumann's declaration referred to this requirement. World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threatens. So regarding these new challenges, what are the goals we have to pursue now? First of all, I think we have to take advantage of our assets. Today, no one else can provide the same assets that Europe can bring to the international community. While there are several international players able to intervene in conflict resolution, the European Union is one of the few able to master the political, diplomatic, economic, legal, police and military resources to resolve a complex crisis. Even if there is too little public awareness of this, Europe has already started to use the wide range of tools it has at its disposal. The European External Action Service evolves significantly, and it brings real added value to global conflict management. Through its 140 delegations around the world, it maintains an extensive diplomatic network that is capable of supporting and enhancing states' actions. Also, by facilitating the meetings of crisis sales or crisis platforms in Brussels when necessary, it brings together all relevant as stakeholders. The European External Action Service, the Council, the civilian and military experts, the Commission, EU representative with international organization, and all this helps decision taking. Yes, the defence and security dimension within the EU is very new. In just 10 years, it has made a great deal of progress, and I can testify that the EU that I saw in last November is profoundly different than the EU in 2008 when I arrived in Brussels for the first time. To highlight this, let me just show what we do in missions and operations. For instance, the EU has introduced an unprecedented comprehensive strategy in the whole of Africa. It was implemented progressively, but yet there is a global strategy. Numerous single actions and interventions have progressively been inserted. There are three CSDP missions or operations underway. Operation Atalanta is tackling piracy of the coast of Somalia and protecting shipping, including vessels delivering assistance for the world food program. Moreover, I would like to emphasize that the number of ships taken hostage in the region has dropped significantly from 32 in January to four a year later. And at four years ago, there were 600 hostages in the Horn of Africa, while we have now less than 100. So the business model of the pirates has been challenged. The EU is also implementing and supporting regional maritime capacity building through a mission UCAP Nestor. And the EUTM Somalia mission, training mission, which is a very well known in Ireland or should be because you provide a very important elements, not only the leadership, but also commitment in that mission. It is a very important mission, which allowed roughly 30 percent of the Somalian armed forces to be trained and to get a standard of ability to fight for their nations. But also that we are, in a few days from now, going to see an increased involvement of the EU towards the Somalian government with the first step of a permanent basing of an EU flag in Modig issue, with the General Ahen and his team providing work to help the Somalian armed forces to tackle the issue of reorganization of their model. So with all this to highlight that on top of what I've just highlighted, there are development aid that is provided by the EU Commission, as well as humanitarian aid. And all of this brings a complete strategy, which enables all the key elements to provide their expertise in order to help the Somalian government, elected government, to continue in the past of getting its own ownership of its defence and security issues. A second area where we are engaged is Mali, where the EU has launched the second phase of the EU training mission in Mali very recently. After assessing and then giving advice for the reform of the Malian armed forces, the first battalion started its training on the second of April. Together with all the 27 member states, it has fostered regional awareness and unanimously demonstrated the will to commit collectively to this mission. I will not highlight what we do in the Balkans, but I can in the questions and answer period, and I would like to stress the significant progress that has been made on capability related issues. The close relationship that now exists between the European Defence Agency and the Military Committee and therefore the Chief of Defence allows a wide and consistent overview of requirements in terms of capability and responses to be provided. Then we have to be able to fulfil our responsibility. As you highlighted, the United States are inviting us to do more to defend the interests of our fellow citizens and to become security providers. The EU's deployments in the Horn of Africa and in the Sahel are part of this dynamic. Defence is at the heart of national sovereignty and the decision to use military force of course will remain within member states, but it also remains true that the challenges called for greater solidarity as the world today clearly seeks Europe's help. As President von Rampere recently said, the crisis should not be seen as an excuse to put things off, but instead as an opportunity to launch initiative, to preserve capabilities that would otherwise be lost to budget cuts. Consequently, I think we must develop ambitious solidarity and look for any project that can lead to more exchanges and more pooling in order to avoid progressive structural disarmament. The progressive establishments of cluster, regional clusters, could allow several willing states to look into specific topics. Such entities could ensure concrete progress and optimise resources without infringing on state sovereignty. For instance, member states involved in the same military operation could share the same logistics. During the operation in Libya, most countries transported their stockpile to their assigned forward operation base on a weekly basis and on their own. For instance, a military sky team or star alliance could be created to comprehensively optimise the use of aircraft, military aircraft, their maintenance, the management of logistics flows and legal responsibilities. This would require other European Air Transport Command to be created following a regional logic. A European Auxiliary fleet could be set up to provide all vessels with fuel and replenishment while they are on overseas missions. Other projects are being elaborated and need to take into consideration the interoperability of our armed forces in the coming years. And I'm specifically thinking of UAVs and of enhanced medical support to operations, two areas where I see either in the acquisition or in the implementation of those capabilities, a lot of room for cooperation between member states. The aim is to also improve the efficiency and visibility of the common security and defence policy, to increase the development of defence capabilities and to contribute to strengthening the defence industry. This is what is at stake at the European Council meeting in December of this year. Today, we indeed find ourselves in the paradoxical situation where Europe is disarming in a world that is re-arming. Since 2001, military expenditures in Europe decreased from 29% to 20% of world expenditures. So what can be the position of Europe with its 500 million inhabitants if it has no credible capabilities for ensuring its security? This is a fundamental question, as our ambitions determine our instruments, but conversely, our instruments also limit our ambition. To conclude, I would like to emphasise the fact that over the past few years, EU has developed a genuine crisis management capacity. Although further progress needs to be made, it already has all the necessary tools to become a genuine force multiplier. Our world is a world of new dangers, but also of new opportunities. Therefore, building an ambitious solidarity is not only a matter of resources, it is above all a matter of will. As a pilot, I always remember what Antoine de Saint-Exupéry used to say. As for the future, the task is not to foresee it, but to enable it to happen. Thank you very much.