The Atlantic Treaty Association sucessfully held it's 57th General Assembly "Tackling New Security Challenges with Partners" in Tirana, Albania

Atlantic Treaty Association’s 57th Annual General Assembly Succeeds in Tirana

Experts and civil society representatives from 35 countries gathered for a three day seminar where the most pressing issues for transatlantic security and cooperation were discussed with political, diplomatic and military representatives.

In attendance at the General Assembly was Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy at NATO. Ambassador Grabar-Kiratovic outlined the Priorities for NATO’s public diplomacy efforts in anticipation of the upcoming Chicago Summit. Key to this was that:

“NATO’s public diplomacy should emphasize the enduring relevance of the transatlantic link and illustrate that Europe and America are effective and steadfast partners in global security.”

Ambassador Grabar-Kiratovic highlighted the importance of the ATA in contributing to these efforts and she was echoed by Dr. Karl A. Lamers, President of the Atlantic Treaty Association, who said that “like NATO, the ATA has been passing through crucial years. Nevertheless, in these crucial times for intra-European solidarity, it is crystal clear to me, that the ATA project - like that of the Alliance - is even more vital. NATO is a symbol of transatlantic solidarity, cohesion and collaboration. Such Atlantic pillar is crucial in the foreign policy of all our countries and is a strong economic, political and security dimension of the European Union. The European and the Atlantic projects are on the same side and overlaps between the two are remarkable, but more needs to be done to reinforce it.”

The Security Policy Seminar theme “Tackling new Security challenges with Partners” focused on five priority topics: the future of the International Coalition in Afghanistan, the NATO-EU Strategic Dialogue, the Modern Societies and Cyber Threats, and the partnerships in the Mediterranean and Middle East. As special panel on the Future of Atlanticism was organized and it saw the participation of the new Youth Atlantic Treaty Association Executive Board, chaired by Ms. Kristin Durant. The Seminar was attended by more than 60 young professionals in international and transatlantic affairs, which blogged live and reported on the seminar discussions throughout the event.

These topics were discussed at length by panels which brought together academic experts, military and civilian practitioners, diplomatic representatives, and government officials. Each of the panels saw stimulating and lively debate and were highly informative to all those who attended.

Discussions covered key developments in the subject fields. In “Beyond Afghanistan” panellists discussed the importance of comprehensive solutions not reliant on military means alone. It was stressed that certain problems, such as narcotics and corruption would have to remain beyond the remit of NATO and western intervention, that these problems require Afghan solutions. Panellists discussing partnerships in the Mediterranean and Middle East stressed the difference between the systems of government emerging in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and western “Liberal” democracies, whilst the debates on Cyber Security examined the legal and practical solutions to cyber-attacks and the example of how Estonia has responded to Cyber threats since 2007.

The General Assembly was also attended my several notable ministers of the Albanian Government and was honoured to receive Prof. Dr. Sali Berisha, Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania. During his address to the delegates PM Berisha stated that:

“NATO membership …[was] an event of historic importance for all the Albanian nation as it marks the beginning of a new epoch for Albania and the building of its future, free and safe like never before.”

Notable speakers also included Mr. Graham Muir, Director of the Policy and Planning Unit at the European Defense Agency, who participated alongside NATO representatives in an open and frank discussion on NATO-EU Strategic Dialogue.

The Seminar was organized by the Atlantic Treaty Association in cooperation with the Atlantic Council of Albania, and the support of NATO Public Diplomacy and the Konrad Adenaur Stiftung.

A full programme of the event detailing speaker’s biographies and selected speeches can be found on the General Assembly Webpage. A copy of the Final Report of the 57^th General Assembly, as presented in Tirana by General Rapporteur Ms. Julie Lindhout can also be found here.