Taking Stock of the 58^ General Assembly
Hon. Prof. Enrico La Loggia
President of the Italian Atlantic Committee

The 58^ ATA General Assembly successfully took place in Rome. The Italian Atlantic Committee is honored to have been in charge of the organization of this event constituting the most significant moment for the international action of the ATA and its network of national Atlantic chapters.

ATA 2020
Hon. Karl Lamers
President of the Atlantic Treaty Association

As we approach 2020, NATO’s vision and strategy continues to evolve. The ATA sees the importance of NATO for an effective and affordable defense and values initiatives such as Smart Defense and the Connected Forces Initiative.

Albania’s Engagement in NATO
Hon. Arben Imami
Minister of Defense, Albania

Albania’s status as a NATO member and a possible candidate to the EU entails greater duties and responsibilities. The Albanian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense have played and continue to play a very substantial role in the Albania’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

Kurdistan: from Genocide to Rebirth
H.E. Rezan Kader
High Representative to Italy, Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq

This year is the 25th anniversary of the horrific genocidal massacre perpetrated by the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, against the Kurdish people. We are pleased that the Iraqi High Tribunal and Council of Representatives have recognized these past crimes against the Kurds in Iraq as genocide, but we must do more.

Georgia’s Perspective on the Role of NATO
Amb. Vasil Sikharulidze
Atlantic Council of Georgia

NATO expansion doesn’t represent a threat to any other nation and strengthens security and stability of Europe. NATO enlargement brought security and stability to its neighborhood. World has changed, but seemingly cold war type strategic thinking is dominating in setting of Russia’s security agenda.

Syria, a Strategic Crossroad
V.Adm. F. Sanfelice di Monteforte
Pres. Military Commission, Italian Atlantic Committee

The violent civil war that has been tearing apart Syria for some time now is dragging on and is seemingly stuck in a situation of equilibrium between the parts involved, although through highs and lows.

Libya and the Challenges to International Organizations
Prof. Fabrizio W. Luciolli
Secretary General of the Italian Atlantic Committee

The response of international organizations to the unrest in the Arab-Muslim countries revealed a lack of vision and leadership in managing the crisis, such as demonstrated by the Libyan case. In this context, though, NATO constitutes an exception.
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Italy, NATO and the Future of Cooperative Security
Hon. Prof. Enrico La Loggia
President of the Italian Atlantic Committee

The organization of the 58^ ATA General Assembly by the Italian Atlantic Committee is part of the Atlantic tradition of our country and has been an opportunity to offer a contribution in elaborating the future NATO's strategies and promoting new perspectives of cooperative security. The realization of such perspectives is key to successfully face the emerging security challenges that the Atlantic community is called upon to tackle from the Mediterranean to Afghanistan.

58^ ATA General Assembly

The 58th General Assembly of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA) was held in Rome, at the NATO Defense College, on February 4-6, 2013. The Assembly focused on NATO and the Future of Cooperative Security, with a particular reference to the challenges coming from the Mediterranean and Middle East region. High Government representatives and NATO political and military authorities, took part in the General Assembly together with the Delegates coming from the 37 NATO and Partner countries members of ATA, and belonging to the political, military, diplomatic, academic, and research fields. GO TO THE WEB SITE
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New Transatlantic Relations

Sixty selected University students, researchers and young professionals, coming from different academic backgrounds, attended the second edition of the “New Transatlantic Relations: The International Organizations and the Security Challenges” (NTR), an intense Study Course organized by the Italian Atlantic Committee and the Consules Association. The NTR Course took place concurrently in Rome and Milan on 26-30 November 2012.
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COOPERATION

Among its international activities, the Italian Atlantic Committee promotes numerous dialogue and cooperation programs with NATO member states and partners in the Partnership for Peace program, the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. A particular attention is devoted to the Balkans, the Mediterranean and Middle East region as well as the Transatlantic relations. Educational and cooperation programs  are also carried out with countries that do not belong to the NATO partnership initiatives.
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EDUCATION

The Italian Atlantic Committee organizes training and educational activities on Atlantic and security themes aimed at civilian and military personnel. It also promotes conferences and debates in academic and educational institutions. Training and educational activities are promoted also in the international field. The Italian Atlantic Committee pays a special attention to the youth education through the organization of seminars, courses and practical activitites in Italy and abroad, intended to raise awareness among the new generations about foreign affairs, international economy, security and defense issues.
 

PARTNERSHIPS

NATO and the Future of Cooperative Security
Amb. Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy Terzi

Recent developments in the Mediterranean region have shown that single States are often not prepared to bear the political and economic costs of stabilisation operations. One reason for the success of NATO’s intervention in Libya was precisely the capacity to shape a coalition. Building upon this success, the Alliance must seize the momentum to expand its potential as a guarantor of security and stability in the Mediterranean.
 

NATO

Why NATO Needs to Play a Global Role
Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola
Minister of Defense, Italy Ammiraglio-giampaolo-di-paola3-150x143

The system of international relations has entered a protracted phase of uncertainty. As a result, the Atlantic Alliance will remain a pillar of international security for the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond. But its future pivotal role cannot be taken for granted.

NATO Transformation and Future Challenges
Lt. Gen. Gianmarco Chiarini
Italian Representative, NATO-EU Military Committees Smart Defense

The vision for NATO in 2020 is one of modern forces able to operate with partners in any environment. Smart Defense and the Connected Forces Initiative are fundamental to this goal.

NATO 2020: Challenges to the Alliance
Prof. Julian Lindley-French
Advisor, UK Chief of Defense Staff NATO 2020

NATO 2020 should thus represent the steady and consistent reform of an Alliance that needs to be rendered fit for purpose for the 21st century both as a regional-strategic hub and an enabler of global stability. Succeed and the world will be more secure. Fail and it will not.
 

NATO

NATO is as Relevant Today as Ever
Hon. Franco Frattini
President of SIOI FRANCO FRATTINI

NATO has become today a unique source of political and military flexible capabilities to manage successfully the 21st century’s international security environment, projecting security and stability through partnerships, while continuing to provide for the defense of its members.

Defense and Economic Development
Dr. Antonio Perfetti
Managing Director, MBDA Italy Missile-150x86

In a time of austerity, the situation is severe for the defense programs that risk to be canceled, delayed or streamlined to a level of ineffectiveness. Security and defense can only be ensured by a global burden sharing mechanism encompassing all relevant aspects.

NATO 2020: Yet Another View
Prof. Tanja Miščević
University of Belgrade NATO 2020

NATO is an organized military force, with an integrated command structure, long experience in multilateral military cooperation, joint defence and force planning. But that is enough for NATO and its Member States to preserve peace and security?
 

Mediterranean & Middle East

The New Generation and the Future of the Broader Middle East
Sultan al-Qassemi
Columnist Nic537892

The region encompassing the Arab world is amongst the youngest in the world. This has presented both challenges and opportunities to the governments of region. In the wake of the Arab uprisings some governments may have changed but the challenges remain the same.
 

Mediterranean & Middle East

Middle East: Protagonists, Challenges and Risks
Amer al-Sabaileh
University of Jordan Russia-Usa1

There is only one path which can lead to the changes that are crucial for Arab youth in the Middle East, and this path is the confrontation of such challenges, including the reform of the education system, provision of career opportunities, combating extremism, and the promotion of human dignity and liberty.
 

Partnerships

NATO Partnerships in the Greater Middle East
Emiliano Stornelli
Mediterranean and Broader Middle East Program, Italian Atlantic Committee Rasmussen2-90x105

NATO has been paying a particular attention to its partnership programs in the Greater Middle East, the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). Nevertheless, the future of these strategic partnerships seems to be hanging by the dynamics currently affecting the area, which are putting at serious stake the whole course of the MD and ICI.
 

NATO-Russia

The Future of Relations
Antonia Colibasanu
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As to the NATO Missile Defense, Russia wants to create the impression that is being backed into a corner by the US and left no choice but counter.

Mid-Term Perspectives
Prof. Stanislav Tkachenko
St. Petersburg State University images

NATO-Russia relations in mid-term perspective will go through a number of conflicts and attempts to overcome their negative consequences.
 

Caucasus

South Caucasus, Challenges to Security and Development
Elkhan Mehtiyev
Director, Peace and Conflict Resolution Center Azerbaijan

Authoritarian, non democratic systems in the region are major source for instability like we have seen in the Middle East and North Africa. Political instability, social explosion, unrest and consequently political violence may turn the region into greater uncertainty as we witnessed in the Arab world. Democratic development is only chance for all countries of Caucasus for integration into NATO and steady development.
 

News

YNCM

Youth-Euro Mediterranean Meeting on The Future of Cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, organized by the Italian Atlantic Committee in the framework of the Youth Network for Cooperation in the Mediterranean (Paestum, May 24-26).

ATA

Council of the Atlantic Treaty Association (Brussels, May 21-22).

Global Security and Regional Crises

Address by the Secretary General at the conference NATO Between Global Security and Regional Crises, organized by the Italian Atlantic Committee in collaboration with the  University of Bari (Bari, May 14).

NATO Day 2013

The NATO Day 2013 on The Security in the Mediterranean: from the Arab Spring to Siria was attended by the students of the last year of the High Schools in the Province of Rome, together with the school principals and teachers of the related Institutes (Velletri, May 7).

NATO and Italy

Conference of the Secretary General on NATO Evolution and the Role of Italy, University of Teramo, Faculty of Law (18 April).

Kurdistan

Visit to the Kurdistan Region in Iraq for the 25th commemoration of the Halabja genocide (March 12-16).

Herzliya Conference

Participation in the 13th Herzliya Conference in Israel (March 11-14).

Kurdistan: from Genocide to Rebirth

Address by the Secretary General at the conference Kurdistan: from Genocide to Rebirth, SIOI (Rome, March 6).

NATO and the Future of Cooperative Security

58^ General Assembly of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA), organized by the Italian Atlantic Committee in Rome, NATO Defense College (February 4 - 6).

Security in the Gulf

Participation in the 8^ edition of the “Manama Dialogue”, summit on regional security yearly organized by the International Institute of Strategic Studies of London (Bahrain, December 7-9).

Youth Education

Study course on the New Transatlantic Relations: International Organizations and Security Challenges, organized by the Italian Atlantic Committee and Consules Association for University students, young professionals and researchers (Rome-Milan, November 26-30).

NATO Strategic Concept

Conference on the Evolution of the NATO Strategic Concept, University LUISS Guido Carli (Rome, November 26).

The Italian Engagement in Lebanon

Conference on The role of the Italian Army in the UNIFIL operation in Lebanon, organized by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Atlantic Club (Gorizia, November 20).

Mediterranean and Broader Middle East Program

Study and Research Trip, Jordan (November 9 - 18).

 

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58^ ATA General Assembly

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