There’s a moment of truth coming for the team organising the NATO summit in Wales. They will discover in the next couple of days whether the plans they have worked on for months now will fall into place.
This is a complex dance. Delegations from over 60 countries and organisations, plus about 1500 media representatives, will need to be choreographed with supreme precision. And the stakes are high.
This is the first NATO to be hosted by the UK since 1990. That meeting came on the back of the momentous developments at the end of the Cold War. It was a time of great hope, with extraordinary opportunities opening up. We have successfully seized many of those opportunities, in Europe, across NATO, indeed globally. This meeting, almost a generation later, comes on the back of further momentous, though quite different, developments. It’s clear that this summit will be just as critical as 1990 was to NATO and its partners.
I have recently had many fascinating conversations with interlocutors in Macedonia about the desired outcomes for the Summit. It is worth recalling that, although the UK is hosting the summit, it is owned by all NATO allies. The Secretary-General has set three overarching objectives:
1. To consider the long-term implications of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the changing geostrategic security situation on NATO’s borders
2. To agree the next chapter in NATO’s relationship with Afghanistan
3. To ensure that NATO is addressing the new risks and challenges from an unstable world of failed states, regional conflicts, terrorism and cyber-attacks.
We will also be looking to strengthen commitments to increase defence spending, to deepen existing partnerships, and seeking commitment from allies to do more to recognise the contributions of NATO’s armed forces and their families.
In talking about the Wales summit here, the question of enlargement and Macedonia’s accession comes up often. That’s no surprise – there is overwhelming support here for NATO membership and an urgency to achieve it. Along with EU membership, it is one of two key foundation stones on which to build the country’s future. While Cardiff won’t be the moment that Macedonia receives an invitation, it is clear what needs to be done for that to happen. Macedonia is not forgotten, and there will be strong appreciation for the country’s participation in ISAF.
What I have rarely had the opportunity to talk about is the summit’s location – Wales. Wales is a beautiful land, famous for its geography, serenity, castles, market towns and culture. It has an impressive sporting heritage often seen at its most vibrant in its rivalry with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wales has established itself as a world-class destination for major international sporting events: the Ryder Cup, that nail-biting clash between the golfers of Europe and America, took place in 2010 in the same place hosting the Summit this week. Wales is also the home of three national parks: Pembrokeshire coast, Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons. The poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in South Wales in 1914. Visit www.wales.com to find out more, about the business opportunities, about its history and ancestry, about living and studying in Wales, or about famous events that take place in Wales.
For all who will follow the Summit as experts and analysts I hope that we will have the chance to exchange thoughts on the outcome of the summit. I hope that visitors will have the chance to see one of the GREAT sides of Wales.
And for those of you puzzled by the title of this piece, it’s Welsh – a beautiful language and mother tongue of 20 % of Welsh people. Welcome to Wales, welcome to the UK!
