Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina – The Partnerships 360 Symposium, a key event for fostering cooperation between NATO and its partner nations, concluded successfully in Sarajevo on October 24th. This year’s symposium, the fifth iteration since its inception in 2018, brought together political-military delegations from 28 Allied Nations, 25 Partner Nations, several International Organizations, and academia.
Key Themes and Discussions
The symposium focused on the theme “Partnerships in the Age of Hybrid Challenges,” exploring a range of topics related to countering hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks and malign influence. Discussions also covered the strategic importance of the Western Balkans region, achieving cognitive superiority, implementing capacity building, and adopting a multi-domain approach for hybrid warfare.
Opening the symposium were remarks from Rear Admiral Placido Torresi, Deputy Chief of Staff for Multi-Domain Force Development at Allied Command Transformation.
At Allied Command Transformation, and our sister Command Allied Command Operations, we enhance the capabilities of Partner Nations’ forces. This partnership network strengthens security outside NATO territory, which makes NATO itself safer.
At the Partnerships 360 Symposium, we use the opportunity to strengthen our work with our partners and position our Alliance to defend and deter any and all aggressors. We are stronger together.”
– Rear Admiral Placido Torresi,
Deputy Chief of Staff for Multi-Domain Force Development
NATO’s Commitment to Partnerships
NATO’s partnerships are a cornerstone of its security strategy. By working closely with partner nations, NATO can strengthen its security posture and address global challenges more effectively. The Alliance has invested in building mutually beneficial partnerships across the Western Balkans region and continues to enhance its political dialogue and practical cooperation with these countries.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Progress
Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant strides in its partnership with NATO. Since joining the Partnership for Peace programme in 2006, the country has implemented numerous reforms and modernization efforts in its military and security sectors. NATO’s support has been instrumental in these achievements.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO have significant cooperation that is evolving through various forms of partnership. The reforms and modernization of the military and security aspects of our domestic institutions would not have been successful without the comprehensive assistance of our NATO partners.
– Borjana Kristo, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers, Bosnia and Herzegovina
NATO and the Western Balkans
The Western Balkans region is strategically important for NATO and, for many years, NATO has invested in building mutually-beneficial partnerships across the region. The Alliance will continue to enhance our political dialogue and practical cooperation with the Western Balkans in order to support reforms, regional peace and security, and counter malign influence. NATO has reinvigorated its approach to the region to help safeguard its stability, advance democratic reforms, and boost its resilience. During the symposium, panel discussions focused on the successes of NATO integration by partners in the region, while exploring the challenges of the region and the means and ways to overcome them.
Addressing Hybrid Threats
Building resilience, including societal resilience, is a top priority for NATO and its partners. The symposium emphasized the importance of collaboration, information sharing, and adopting best practices to combat hybrid threats and strengthen societal resilience.
Cognitive Superiority
NATO defines cognitive superiority as the ability to understand situations more quickly and effectively than adversaries, thereby gaining a strategic advantage. The Alliance possesses significant scientific, technological, intellectual, financial, and military resources to achieve this goal. Moreover, NATO’s vast network of partner nations further amplifies its capacity for cognitive superiority. Despite these strengths, NATO has faced challenges in anticipating and preventing past and ongoing crises. To address this, the Alliance must proactively shape the environment to its advantage. The symposium discussed how NATO and its partners can better leverage their relationships to achieve cognitive superiority.
[Cognitive Superiority] is still, to this day, the center of gravity of any war, and we see that in the battlefront of the Russian war against Ukraine. It is all about better and faster understanding of the adversary to prevail, to gain decisional advantage. This is what we need to pursue if we want to prevail in the strategic competition that we face in this complex environment that we have today.”
– Dr Kestutis Paulauskas, Senior Strategy Officer
Conclusion:
The 2024 Partnerships 360 Symposium demonstrated the value of NATO’s partnerships and the importance of collaboration in addressing the evolving security challenges facing Europe. By working together, NATO and its partners can strengthen their collective security and promote peace and stability in the region.