The first Field Study of the 131 Senior Course, dedicated to the European scenario, was inaugurated today by the Defense Chief of Staff, General Claudio Graziano, with a speech on Italian foreign defense and security policy.
The NATO commander Defense College, general of Chris Whitecross, welcomed General Graziano and the Italian delegation composed by Major General Lorenzo D'Addario, representing the Ministry of Defense, by the embassy adviser Federica Favi, first consul of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dr Ezio Gaetano, Director of the State Police, representing the Ministry of the Interior. In his speech, General Graziano, in emphasizing the salient themes of the international security scenario, such as migration flows, international terrorism and the proliferation of criminal organizations, said: "these threats must be tackled simultaneously and with the use of all tools available ".
Responding to some questions of the participants, regarding the role of Italy, the Chief of Defense Staff highlighted how: the Italian strategy is focused on the Mediterranean region for historical and geographical reasons. In all international and national contexts, Italy promotes the development of strategies to deal with security challenges from the so-called "South side of NATO" and Europe, without failing to defend itself as an active member of the Atlantic Alliance in Europe Oriental. Finally, the General also emphasized Italy's important contribution to the recent constitution South NATO Hub "in Naples as a tool for planning and implementing all the operations in the southern area.
Moving from different points of view, all the speakers emphasized the strong complementarity that exists between the European Union and NATO. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this complementarity is necessary to facilitate the ongoing adaptation process underway within NATO; from a military point of view, however, it is necessary to limit current crises and prevent future ones; and according to the police, the EU-NATO binomial must serve for a better cooperation between countries and a better exploitation of the available means (Europol, Interpol) of Italy to face the numerous security challenges.
In the afternoon, Senior Course have had the opportunity to visit the Interoperable Operations Center in Rome, thus being able to have a direct approach to the multi-operative complexity of the Italian Armed Forces impregnated abroad.
The NATO Defense College periodically organizes activities of Field Study, enabling course attendants to deepen knowledge of security policies, structures and institutions in the defense sector as well as the governments and international institutions that deal with them through the meeting with decision-makers national, regional and global in their respective countries and Quartier Generali.
