A Guest Blog by Chargé d’Affaires Greg Quinn
On 4 and 5 September 2014 the NATO Wales Summit will take place in Newport, Wales. This will be the largest ever gathering of international leaders to take place in the UK. Leaders, senior Ministers and Defence Chiefs from around 60 countries are expected to attend, along with some 1,500 members of the world’s media.
The summit comes as NATO draws down in Afghanistan, its longest ever mission, against a backdrop of volatility in Ukraine. Whilst this has sharpened the focus around the summit, our aim remains the same – to ensure that NATO continues to be at the forefront of building stability in an unpredictable world. As a leading player in NATO over the last 65 years, the UK continues to provide forces for NATO operations around the world today. Beyond Afghanistan, there are British service personnel serving in the Baltic Air Policing mission and on counter-piracy missions. The UK makes these contributions available to NATO as the Alliance remains a cornerstone of our defence. This is also why the UK is home to NATO’s Maritime Component Command and the Headquarters of their Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
Wales has particularly fond memories for me. From 1989-1992 I was a student at Aberystwyth University, studying International Politics and International History. It was there that my interest and love of diplomacy and international affairs developed. If it hadn’t been for Wales I wouldn’t be where I am now.
But there is another reason Wales has a special place in my heart. Twenty-four years ago I met the girl who would become my wife there. Happy memories of Wales abound in the Quinn household.
Wales is one of the four integral nations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The others are: England; Northern Ireland; and Scotland. It is a land rich in history and culture. To mark the NATO Summit we have designed a special logo which celebrates Welsh culture, economy, history and heritage.
The four icons on the logo are representative of different aspects of Wales:
– Welsh Spirit (Dragon): ‘Y Ddraig Goch Ddyry Cychwyn’ is a Welsh motto with an approximate translation of: ‘the red dragon inspires action’.
– Welsh History: Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in the world. The 641 castles there helped build and shape the great nation of Wales.
– Welsh Heritage: represented by the Quaternary Celtic Know, which symbolises the four corners of the compass and the four elements of Earth, Fire, water and Air.
– Summit Hosts Newport: As represented by the Newport Transporter bridge. This is an icon of the Newport Skyline, and one of only six operational transporter bridges left world-wide.
Finally, as there are two official NATO languages – English and French, these are also reflected in the logo.
Kazakhstan has been invited to the NATO Wales Summit as a partner nation and we look forward to seeing your representatives there. This is a lovely part of the UK and it is a pleasure for the UK to be able to introduce world leaders to it.
Further information on the Summit can be found on the dedicated webpage: www.gov.uk/nato2014. Photos can also be found at: www.flickr.com/natowales. You can also follow @NATOWales on Twitter or on instagram at: www.instagram.com/natowales
NATO Logo