Opening remarks

I am very glad to be back in Rome. I thank you for Italy’s strong contributions to our Alliance. You support our Baltic Air Policing Mission. You help bring stability to Kosovo. And you are a lead nation in our mission to train the Afghan forces.

We discussed the situation in North Africa and the Middle East. ISIL’s terrorist actions in Libya, Iraq and in Syria pose a serious threat to the security of all our countries. That is why we fully support United Nations efforts to pave the way for a national reconciliation process and a unity government in Libya. A Libyan unity government will be crucial in the fight against ISIL.

And NATO remains ready to support Libya with advice on defence and security institution building.

To meet the challenges we see on our southern borders we need to work more closely with partners in the region. Italy has a leading role to play here.

I welcome the leading role Italy will play in the new very high readiness Spearhead Force. It will allow NATO to deal with security threats  coming from any direction, including the South. The spearhead force is also a response to the new security situation in the eastern part of our Alliance. I welcome Italy’s contribution to our collective defence measures in Eastern Europe. By doing this, you are showing strong support and solidarity to our Eastern Allies.                                                  

So we have much to do . And I look forward to our close cooperation as we work to keep NATO strong to deal with these challenges.