Communication key to NATO’s role, says new top official

  • 05 Aug. 2011 -
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  • Last updated: 09 Aug. 2011 10:08

In her first public speech since joining NATO, Ambassador Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic highlighted the importance of open communication in bringing NATO closer to its people.

The new NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy called for "constant effort, commitment and a continuous, direct and frank dialogue with our publics,"when speaking to the International Institute for Political & Economic Studies (IIPES) in Crete on August 5.

Successful communication is more than top-down messaging. It articulates trust, promotes feelings of security and belonging, and leads to reflection and action. It offers interaction and information,” the Ambassador said.

The IIPES is the largest summer educational programme in the Mediterranean. It involves more than 100 outstanding university students from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds, who are selected from 30 countries in the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and the US.

Following her speech, the Ambassador visited the NATO Missile Firing Installation and the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre.