On April 12, 2024, INCIPE hosted the virtual event titled NATO at 75: Priorities and Challenges, featuring Carmen Romero, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy at NATO. The session was introduced by the Spanish Ambassador and INCIPE board member, Manuel Alabart. Following the speaker’s presentation, a question and answer session was moderated by Vicente Garrido, Director General of INCIPE. To conclude, the newly appointed Secretary General of INCIPE, Ambassador Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner, delivered closing remarks.

Carmen Romero began her remarks by highlighting NATO’s critical role over its 75-year history. She noted that a significant moment in the commemoration will occur in July, when heads of state and government will gather in Washington. This anniversary provides an opportunity to recognize the Alliance’s role, especially in the current complex security environment. We face threats that jeopardize not only our security but also our way of life, including a potential conflict on European soil. Additionally, we are confronted with increased global strategic competition and persisting challenges such as hybrid threats, cyber threats, terrorism, and the security implications of climate change.

“We need NATO now more than ever,” affirmed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Similarly, he emphasized, “The good news is that we have a strong NATO.” The Alliance now boasts more members than ever before, expanding from the original twelve to thirty-two member countries today, with recent additions including Finland and Sweden. Furthermore, NATO possesses unprecedented military readiness, increased defense spending, and a broader global network of partners.

NATO is primarily a political-military organization that protects over 1.000 million people in the Euro-Atlantic area. Carmen Romero highlighted that 90% of EU citizens reside in NATO member countries. The Alliance relies on both political and military instruments to ensure our security. Romero emphasized that NATO is the only forum where North American and European countries convene daily to discuss pertinent security issues. All decisions are made by consensus, setting aside individual interests in favor of shared security. The military instrument helps implement political decisions through defense and deterrence, aiming to prevent conflict rather than provoke it. NATO is a defensive organization, not offensive, prepared to defend if necessary but always avoiding escalation and adhering to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Carmen Romero posed the question: Why is NATO still relevant 75 years after its creation? Simply put, NATO has adapted. The Alliance was born with the mission to deter the Soviet Union, playing a crucial role for 40 years in ending the Cold War and protecting our citizens and territories. After that period, NATO expanded its focus beyond collective security, engaging in operations beyond its borders and contributing to resolving conflicts in the Western Balkans. Following the terrorist attacks of 2001, NATO assumed a leading role in the fight against terrorism, a role it continues to fulfill today.

After the end of the Cold War, Russia shifted from adversary to partner, establishing a fundamental practical cooperation within the security architecture. However, Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and occupation of territories in the Donbas region altered NATO’s security landscape. After 30 years of prosperity and predictability, collective security has been reactivated in a manner not seen since the end of the Cold War. Additionally, the terrorist threat has escalated with the emergence of groups like ISIS in the Middle East.

In response to the aggression against Ukraine, NATO has demonstrated consistent unity. Its response is based on three pillars: supporting Ukraine’s right to defense, reinforcing defense and deterrence to prevent conflict from spreading to NATO member borders, and working with Alliance partners as part of an international coalition in defense of international law.

Following Carmen Romero’s intervention, a discussion ensued where participants posed questions on NATO enlargement processes, NATO’s relations with the European Union, and member countries’ commitments to defense spending, among other topics.