The international seminar “More Europe on Defence”, organised by the MFA and the Defence Ministry, was held at the foreign ministry in Rome today.
Its scope is to make a contribution to the preparations for the December 2013 session of the European Council and to the Italian Presidency of the European Union, with the aim of increasing awareness among European and Atlantic partners that a stronger European defence could lead to the better fulfillment of the requisites of the Atlantic Alliance.
As he opened the seminar with Defence Chief of Staff Luigi Binelli Mantelli, Foreign Ministry Secretary General Michele Valensise underscored how our country’s “active role” in the European defence debate was in line with “the traditional and lasting commitment to Europe that has always distinguished Italy’s actions and underlies strategic and economic motivations”.
Pointing out that this year’s December European Council would “make decisions and recommendations on how to develop and promote an effective European defence”, Valensise expressed the hope that the seminar would make “a useful contribution and supply concrete material upon which to work” ahead of this important meeting.
The foreign ministry’s International Conference Room, which hosted the seminar, was crowded with high-level officials, civilian and military security policy experts from the countries of Europe, NATO and the European External Action Service, along with representatives of the two international organizations, thinks tanks and the defence industry.