"The Atlantic Alliance has proven to be a collective security framework that we need at a time when the world is in permanent polycrisis. It is also a multilateral framework that works at a time when other organisations such as the OSCE and the UN are divided," said Italy's permanent representative to NATO, Ambassador Marco Peronaci, speaking to ANSA on the sidelines of the ambassadors' conference being held at the Farnesina.
"By having a harmony of values and alliances it manages to have a unified position, in this case of contrasting and putting pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine," he noted, pointing out that Nato is now entering a phase of change, in which it is dealing with its neighbourhood, such as the Mediterranean and Africa, "thanks also to Italy's action". "But of course it is also sensitive to the American request for more attention on the Indo-Pacific."
With the new Secretary Rutte, 'the Alliance now also speaks more European and is able to interact more and more with the European Union, which will undoubtedly devote itself to defence in a more penetrating way'.
"Italy," he concluded, "is in line to achieve the target of 2% defence spending by 2028, confirmed by several governments, and has seen its spending in the sector grow. It will do its part. But Italy is also pushing for rationalisation, because spending in a fragmented way at 27 means spending more with less capacity. We have to work for the European defence market, using the same resources for more capabilities. Italy is also present in NATO operations, from the sky police in the Baltics to the Italian-led battalion in Bulgaria. Or in Kosovo, where an Italian general leads the largest Nato operation'.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
