Mattarella: NATO as a Garrison of Peace and Security
Mattarella: NATO Assembly Embodies Freedom, Peace, adn Security
Rome, Italy – President Sergio Mattarella, addressing a delegation from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly at the Quirinal Palace, hailed the assembly as a vital institution embodying freedom, peace, and the security of citizens. The meeting marked the 70th anniversary of the first gathering of parliamentarians from the allianceS member countries.
“I woudl like to formulate the greetings of this important anniversary with the hope and the belief that the Assembly continues to represent for all an example of an institution of freedom, peace, the security of our citizens,” President Mattarella stated.
He emphasized Italy’s consistent contribution to the alliance’s well-being and its broader reflection on NATO’s future. The President highlighted the evolving security landscape, stressing the need for a geographically inclusive approach that addresses instability emanating from the Middle East and parts of North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
“In this large concept of security they also become the protection of critical infrastructures and the ability to cope with hybrid threats including those related to the risks of improper use of artificial intelligence,” Mattarella explained.He underscored the importance of investing in innovation and enhancing the skills of national industrial sectors to meet these challenges.
President Mattarella also pointed to the crucial role of complementarity between NATO and the European Union, with the latter increasingly expected to serve as a pillar of continental security.
the ongoing geopolitical shifts, particularly Russia’s “serious unacceptable aggression to Ukraine,” have necessitated a renewed commitment and adaptation within NATO. This aggression, he noted, represents an increasingly insistent threat to the principles defended by both the alliance and the European Union, prompting an acceleration in strengthening NATO. This strengthening has been evident on a political level,reaffirming NATO’s stabilizing function for peace,evidenced by new adhesions,including members who previously held significant neutrality.”NATO, an alliance of free peoples, lives on the democratic support offered by its citizens through parliamentary representatives to stimulate awareness and debate on the issues of security and defense Euro -Atlantic with an action that exceeds allies boundaries,” the President remarked. He cited the assembly’s extensive activities in bolstering the resilience of partner democracies through open dialogues in the Mediterranean and balkan regions as proof of this commitment.
Concluding his address, President Mattarella underscored the inextricable link between democracy and security. “As you cannot conceive a democracy without security, so there is no security without democracy or a military defense without a full democratic legitimacy,” he asserted. He lauded the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s ancient significance as a “forward-looking and productive laboratory of parliamentary dialog,” which has evolved into a robust institution where diverse political sensitivities converge in support of shared values, representing over a billion citizens.