Today (17 November 2021), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with the Italian President of the Council of Ministers, Mario Draghi, as part of a two day-visit to Rome.
Secretary General Stoltenberg and Prime Minister Draghi discussed current security challenges, including Russia’s military build-up in and around Ukraine, the crisis on Belarus’s border with Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, and developments in the south of the Alliance, including the situation in the Mediterranean.
They addressed the importance of a strong transatlantic bond as the Alliance continues to modernise and adapt in a more competitive world, and prepares for next year’s NATO summit in Madrid. They also discussed the partnership between NATO and the European Union, which has reached unprecedented levels.
Secretary General Stoltenberg thanked Italy, as a founding member of NATO, for the major role it plays in the Alliance and in international security. Italy is present in the Baltic Sea and NATO air policing, in Kosovo, and in the fight against terrorism – notably within the framework of NATO Mission Iraq, which Italy will lead next year. Italy also hosts many important NATO institutions, including the NATO Defense College, whose 70th anniversary will be attended by the Secretary General.
Italy also helps keep NATO strong through innovation and technology, and is hosting this week the NATO-Industry Forum.