NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Italy’s significant contributions to the Alliance during talks with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Rome on Tuesday (24 May 2016). “For more than sixty years, Italy has been a driving force within NATO,” the Secretary General said.

Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Italy for its contributions to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission in the east and to Operation Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean. He also welcomed that Italy will soon play a leading role in NATO’s new Spearhead Force, which will enable the Alliance to respond rapidly to threats from any direction. He added that Italy makes major contributions to Allied missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, and hosts a new cutting-edge capability in Sigonella: Alliance Ground Surveillance. This capability will increase NATO’s capacity to monitor emerging challenges in the south.

During their talks, the Secretary General and Prime Minister Renzi discussed the next steps NATO will take at the Warsaw Summit to strengthen the Alliance’s collective defence and deterrence. The leaders underscored the importance of projecting stability beyond NATO’s borders, helping local forces secure their own countries against violent extremism. Mr. Stoltenberg noted that NATO stands ready to support Libya with advice on defence and security institution building, if so requested and as part of UN-led efforts. He added that Libya will soon send a team of experts to NATO to identify how the Alliance could best assist.

The leaders also reviewed plans to deepen NATO’s cooperation with the European Union. The Secretary General welcomed the Italian proposal for closer coordination with the EU in the Mediterranean. He noted that NATO is looking into how it can contribute to address common challenges and threats in the Mediterranean.