I am deeply honoured to take office as Permanent Representative of Italy to the North Atlantic Council in Brussels.
Peace and security are the oxygen of our freedom, the indispensable basis of our democratic values, of our common living, of the Italian Republic.
NATO is their supreme guarantor.
The Euro-Atlantic dimension represents the horizon that Italy has established for itself: a community of nations that share the same fundamental values, which form the basis of their own geo-strategic collocation.
As a founding member of NATO, Italy has always played a leading role in the North Atlantic Alliance, contributing substantially to the allied political vision and to all NATO activities, operations and missions in adherence to its constitutional values.
The most enduring Alliance in history is today facing one of its most challenging transitions.
At a time when Russian aggression is hitting Ukraine, putting European security and freedom at risk and reducing access to food, energy and finance for millions of people around the world, the unity of the Euro-Atlantic community and the enhancement of NATO-EU cooperation will be the guiding lines of my commitment serving national interests and transatlantic solidarity.
It is from the political unity of the Alliance and the common sharing of the fundamental values of freedom and democracy that comes NATO’s success and its extraordinary capacity for collective defence.
Facing today’s threats and major challenges, we have a responsibility to keep our defence capabilities high.
In parallel, we must work on arms reduction and control, the prevention of conflicts, the promotion of cooperative security and the strengthening of the multilateral approach. All of this, in complementarity with the EU’s assumption of growing security and defence responsibilities.
I take on my role fully confident that, in all these challenges, Italy will continue to play a leading role.
Marco Peronaci
Permanent Representative of Italy to NATO