LSE IDEAS (UK) co-organized an online event with the New Strategy Center, Elcano Institute (Spain), and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) dedicated to NATO’s new Strategic Concept, in a context marked by various challenges for the North Atlantic Alliance.
The debate highlighted the need for a unified and integrated approach to threats in areas vital to NATO security, starting with the Arctic, then the Eastern Flank – from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as the Southern Flank. In order to deal effectively with the multiple classic and especially hybrid challenges, the new Strategic Concept must include such an approach.
The debate was moderated by Dr. Antonia Colibășanu, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center. Speakers in this conference were Ambassador Cristian Diaconescu, Member of the Scientific Council of New Strategy Center, Tom McKane, Senior Visiting Fellow, LSE IDEAS, Dr. Karsten Friis, Coordinator of the Defense and Security Research Group, NUPI, Peter Watkins, Visiting Senior Fellow, LSE IDEAS, and Dr. Charles Powell, Director of Elcano Royal Institute.
Discussions also focused on the ways in which NATO and the EU will have to cooperate, the evolution of the transatlantic relationship in a context characterised by divergent views, such as the AUKUS Agreement or the project of European Strategic Autonomy.
In addition, the discussion addressed the role of resilience in the core tasks of the Alliance, how European Strategic Autonomy efforts can be harmonized with NATO missions, and what attitude the Alliance should take towards Russia or China.
