Diplomats discuss NATO’s future and relations with Portugal
On 23 September, military, political and academic experts gathered in Lisbon to examine the history of Portugal’s relations with NATO and how it will impact the Alliance’s new Strategic Concept, which will be adopted at the Lisbon Summit in November. The seminar took place at the Instituto de Estudos Superiores Militares (IESM).
After the Permanent Representative of Portugal to NATO, Ambassador João Mira Gomes opened the event, participants discussed Portugal’s relationship with NATO, Afghanistan and the transatlantic relationship, and the new Strategic Concept. Delegates included representatives from NATO’s International Staff and the Portuguese Military Representation to the Alliance.
Alexandros Papaioannou from NATO’s Policy Planning Unit spoke about the new Strategic Concept, explaining how changes to the international security environment over the last ten years have brought about the need for a new direction.
He also described the challenges that NATO is likely to face, namely to increase consultations before crises erupt, deepen relations with partners and emerging countries, develop the necessary capacities to face current and future threats, and reform NATO’s structure to fit new priorities.
Speaking of the Alliance’s commitment to deal with emerging threats and challenges, Mr Papaioannou said that although the basis of consensus in decision-making would remain unchanged, collaboration with other international players was vital. In today’s operations, NATO is one among several actors.
General Valença Pinto, the Portuguese Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, closed the seminar.
The event, formally entitled “Portugal and NATO: a Historical Overview on the Eve of a New Strategic Concept”, was co-organized by IESM, the Instituto Português de Relações Internationais, the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and the Centro de Estudos de História Contemporânea Portuguesa and supported by NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division.