From today to 16 May, a NATO North Atlantic Council delegation will travel to Italy to hold institutional meetings and visit NATO facilities in the country. NATO Assistant Secretary General, Wendy Gilmour, will also be present.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, will meet the delegation on Tuesday 16 to exchange views on the main current issues involving NATO.
“Italy plays a leading role within NATO in preventing and managing crises and in forging and making operational relations with partners – first and foremost the EU and the United Nations – whose common values and interests unite us,” said Tajani, adding that “the mission of the North Atlantic Council delegation will further increase the visibility of Italy’s contribution to NATO in a time of profound transformation for the Organisation”.
The mission will also be useful for conveying Italy’s security objectives and priorities, especially with regard to support for Ukraine and the challenges coming from the Southern Flank and Africa, and for contributing to the debate in preparation for the NATO Summit in Vilnius (11-12 July) where the leaders of the 31 countries of the Alliance will have to take important decisions on the future of transatlantic cooperation.
In addition to holding a series of parliamentary-level meetings, the North Atlantic Council delegation will visit the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples – one of the three NATO Commands that, in addition to its more traditional tasks of deterrence and defence, is also required to contribute to the stability of the Euro-Atlantic area and identify opportunities for cooperation in areas such as North Africa, Middle East and the Sahel – as well as the Sigonella air base, chosen by NATO as the main operational base of the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS), a particularly advanced airborne and ground surveillance intelligence and reconnaissance system useful for the entire range of NATO missions, including peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations.
