international A necessary AND EFFICIENT ALLIANCE In Toledo the seminar of the Association of European Journalists brings together politicians, military personnel and journalists to analyse the future of NATO NATO is turning 70 and it does so while immersed in a very complex situation. We live in a fast-paced world where change is overturning everything we thought was established — including the concept of threat— obliging us to redefine leadership, the values we wish to defend and the pillars we wish to stand on to do this. After two days of intense debate and exchanges of opinions, the main conclusion is that multilateralism —with NATO as its main expression in the field of security and defence, complemented by a strong Europe— is more necessary today than ever. This was, essentially, the prevailing idea at the 31st edition of the International seminar on Security and Defence of the Association of European Journalists that took place in Toledo on 11 and 12 June, another being that the best way to respond to challenges such as illegal immigration, the economic crisis, the political see-sawing from the other side of the Atlantic, Russia’s attitude, Brexit, or misinformation, is to stay united, to hold on to universal values and to foster defence as a binding force. During the closing ceremony, acting Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, said: «We must bid for defence and security policies. Nothing works without them: there is no democracy, no freedom, no economic security, no development and no R&D+i». In addition, and after insisting on the fact that «all international organisations are necessary in a geostrategic reality in which there are still many conflicts of many kinds», Robles reiterated that Spain is a «serious, rigorous and compliant» country, where both NATO and the EU are concerned. Presented under the suggestive title of NATO: the vertigo of the American withdrawal, the meeting was the perfect occasion for policy makers, national and international Armed Forces, and reputable professionals from the media to listen, analyse and reflect together on the raison d’être of the Atlantic Alliance. In addition to the Minister for Defence, participants included the Secretary General for Defence Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Nuñez; the General Director for Defence Policy, Elena Gómez Castro; the National Intelligence Centre Director, General Félix Sanz Roldán; the Chief of Staff of the Eurocorps, General Fernando García Blázquez; and the Deputy Director for Security Policy of Poland, Lucyna Golc-Kozak. Also present were journalists such as Diego Carcedo, Miguel Ángel Aguilar, Georgina Higueras and Lucía Abellán, as well as persons key to gaining an understanding Acting Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, next to Miguel Ángel Aguilar (left) and Diego Carcedo. of NATO’s recent past and its essence, such as Javier Solana, former NATO Secretary-General 1995-1999; General Petr Pavel, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee 2015-2018; and Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Poland’s Minister for Defence 1992- 1993 and 1997-2000. MULTILATERALISM The debate took place in various sessions which included a reflection on what the accession to the Alliance by the countries from the Warsaw Pact has meant, both from an organic and functional viewpoint —this year marks two decades of the accession of the first three countries: Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic— to a debate on the US leadership within the Alliance, the necessary cooperation between the EU and NATO and Spain’s commitment to multilateralism. On this last idea, Admiral Martínez Núñez said that, following the economic crisis and the resulting mistrust, particularistic messages have arisen «and have destroyed a great deal of the hope generated by multilateralism», but was categorical when saying that «there is no other alternative model capable of managing the complex security challenges that we face today». In this regard, he said that «the European Union partners in particular have to act as a beacon of 36 Revista Española de Defensa July/August 2019
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