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1/25/2008
NATO School hosts Partnerships Symposium
By U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Crystal M. Raner
OBERAMMERGAU, Germany--Mr. Shohei Naito, a member of the Umicore board of directors, speaks to attendees at the Partnerships Symposium held at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany Jan. 23-24. Photo Courtesy of the NATO School Public Affairs Office
OBERAMMERGAU, Germany— Over 300 attendees representing 35 nations attended the annual Partnerships Symposium held at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany January 23-24.
Known as the flagship event for NATO, the symposium is an opportunity to bring together all of NATO’s partner nations that represent the Alliance, Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperative Initiative. From across the globe, these nations gathered for the two-day conference to discuss in an open forum how they best believe NATO can improve its partnership relations and collaborate on what kind of learning technologies they would like to see implemented in the future.
According to Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Martin Erdmann, there has been much political change in NATO since the early 90s; therefore, there is an even greater significance for NATO listening to the partners.
“NATO has developed institutionalised relations with some 35 nations,” said Erdmann. “We have developed partnership pillars from the side of this alliance with partners in Central Asia and the Caucasus, with our Mediterranean Dialogue partners, with partners in the Arabian Gulf area and even with countries far beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, countries like Japan, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea.”
Erdmann believes NATO can further develop its partnership relations with nations who are not members of NATO by implementing the same tools the Alliance already uses with the PfP nations. Tools such as defence reform, security policy issues of a wider nature, and how to cope with asymmetric threats can provide all nations an opportunity to advance their nations strategically and technologically, as well as contribute to global security.
“It is not that much NATO reaching out to partners far beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, of course, we do that as well,” Erdmann said. “But it is a two-way approach. Those partnerships far beyond the Euro-Atlantic area are coming to us because they feel like they are in the same family of nations, they face the same threats in security terms, and are exposed to an insecure world to the same threat dimensions that we face, but they do not have the instruments. They do not have a NATO. They do not have a security organisation where nations stand in for each other. So they want to be part of this family because these nations are based on the same values as we are. And why should we not offer our cooperation to those nations? So it is as we say in English, ‘it takes two to tango,’ and this is exactly what happens. It is NATO plus those partners in a joint effort, and joint endeavour.”
No longer simply an Alliance of nations for collective defence, today’s NATO is engaged globally with an emphasis on collective security. The peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance members and partner nations is supported through the transformation of NATO military forces and capabilities. New concepts, doctrine and training tools will empower a more agile, expeditionary and effective Alliance as it engages militarily today and in the future.
Open forum events such as the Partnerships Symposium have proven to be advantageous for all nations supporting the transformation of the Alliance. By collaborating and cooperating, nations are striving to meet the increasing need for support of current humanitarian and military operations in geographical areas outside of the Euro-Atlantic area such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Darfur.
NATO School hosts Partnerships Symposium
By U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Crystal M. Raner
OBERAMMERGAU, Germany--Mr. Shohei Naito, a member of the Umicore board of directors, speaks to attendees at the Partnerships Symposium held at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany Jan. 23-24. Photo Courtesy of the NATO School Public Affairs Office
OBERAMMERGAU, Germany— Over 300 attendees representing 35 nations attended the annual Partnerships Symposium held at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany January 23-24.
Known as the flagship event for NATO, the symposium is an opportunity to bring together all of NATO’s partner nations that represent the Alliance, Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperative Initiative. From across the globe, these nations gathered for the two-day conference to discuss in an open forum how they best believe NATO can improve its partnership relations and collaborate on what kind of learning technologies they would like to see implemented in the future.
According to Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Ambassador Martin Erdmann, there has been much political change in NATO since the early 90s; therefore, there is an even greater significance for NATO listening to the partners.
“NATO has developed institutionalised relations with some 35 nations,” said Erdmann. “We have developed partnership pillars from the side of this alliance with partners in Central Asia and the Caucasus, with our Mediterranean Dialogue partners, with partners in the Arabian Gulf area and even with countries far beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, countries like Japan, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea.”
Erdmann believes NATO can further develop its partnership relations with nations who are not members of NATO by implementing the same tools the Alliance already uses with the PfP nations. Tools such as defence reform, security policy issues of a wider nature, and how to cope with asymmetric threats can provide all nations an opportunity to advance their nations strategically and technologically, as well as contribute to global security.
“It is not that much NATO reaching out to partners far beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, of course, we do that as well,” Erdmann said. “But it is a two-way approach. Those partnerships far beyond the Euro-Atlantic area are coming to us because they feel like they are in the same family of nations, they face the same threats in security terms, and are exposed to an insecure world to the same threat dimensions that we face, but they do not have the instruments. They do not have a NATO. They do not have a security organisation where nations stand in for each other. So they want to be part of this family because these nations are based on the same values as we are. And why should we not offer our cooperation to those nations? So it is as we say in English, ‘it takes two to tango,’ and this is exactly what happens. It is NATO plus those partners in a joint effort, and joint endeavour.”
No longer simply an Alliance of nations for collective defence, today’s NATO is engaged globally with an emphasis on collective security. The peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance members and partner nations is supported through the transformation of NATO military forces and capabilities. New concepts, doctrine and training tools will empower a more agile, expeditionary and effective Alliance as it engages militarily today and in the future.
Open forum events such as the Partnerships Symposium have proven to be advantageous for all nations supporting the transformation of the Alliance. By collaborating and cooperating, nations are striving to meet the increasing need for support of current humanitarian and military operations in geographical areas outside of the Euro-Atlantic area such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Darfur.
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