Mediterranean Strategy Group - NATO Looks South: Rethinking Strategy and Partnerships
Naples, Italie
GMF’s Mediterranean Strategy Group (MSG) is the leading transatlantic dialogue on Mediterranean affairs. The forum brings together senior European and U.S. representatives from government, the media, business, and academia with some of the top strategic thinkers from both sides of the Mediterranean on a bi-annual basis for a highly interactive conversation on a wide spectrum of economic, foreign policy, and security issues.
Looking toward the NATO summit in July, this edition of the German Marshall Fund’s Mediterranean Strategy Group will discuss how NATO should think about a more explicit strategy for the South. It will establish what the main challenges are that require the Alliance’s attention, and what level of priority addressing these challenges from the South could and should have within NATO. It will address how the Alliance could work with other regional and international security actors, as well as next steps in Mediterranean partnerships. The meeting aims to provide some concrete recommendations on what is required in terms of attention, investment and engagement.
Agenda
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Monday, May 23 |
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19:00 – 21:00 |
Welcome Reception and Dinner |
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Tuesday, May 24 |
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14:15 – 15:15 |
Discussion: Mediterranean Security Today and Tomorrow I – Regional Dynamics What are the geographical and functional contours of the Mediterranean security environment? What are the current and emerging regional conflicts and risks, and how are they |
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15:15 – 15:30 |
Coffee Break |
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15:30 – 16:30 |
Discussion: Mediterranean Security Today and Tomorrow II – Global Influences To what extent do great power competition and the proliferation of security actors in and around the region affect Mediterranean stability, and the role of the Mediterranean in global power balances? Has the region moved from the periphery to the center of strategic concerns, or will larger-scale flashpoints elsewhere limit external interest and engagement |
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16:30 – 16:45 |
Coffee Break |
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16:45 – 18:15 |
Discussion: NATO Strategy: Where Does the South Fit? Strategy south has always posed political and practical challenges for NATO. Does today’s Mediterranean environment alter this situation, or will the diversity of conflicts and risks continue to confound Alliance strategists? Is the distinction between strategy east and south artificial? What are the points of convergence? |
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Friday, May 25 |
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11:30 – 12:30 |
Welcome and Tour of the NATO Strategic Direction South HUB Naples (TBC) |
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13:30 – 14:00 |
Presentation of GMF Study: The Future of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue Partnership |
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14:00 – 15:00 |
Discussion: NATO Partnerships and Beyond: Security Cooperation in the South The record of accomplishment of traditional cooperative security actors like NATO, the African Union and the EU is mixed, while ad hoc regional and international security partnerships are on the rise. Should NATO cooperate and/ or coordinate better with the EU and others? With whom, and in which areas could cooperation make a difference? Who should take the lead, and who will? |
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15:00 – 15:15 |
Coffee Break |
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15:15 – 16:45 |
Discussion: Toward a Southern Strategy How should the Alliance think about a more explicit strategy for the Mediterranean and points south? What are the core aims? How can the Alliance and its partners shape the security environment (“project stability”)? What is necessary to hedge against adverse developments? What is required in terms of attention, investment and engagement? |
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16:45 – 17:00 |
Concluding Remarks & Next Steps |
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