L'Italia e la NATO, tra missioni internazionali e "polizza di assicurazione"

This paper contains the proceedings of the conference "Gli interessi nazionali e la Nato: dalle missioni alla trincea?" held in Rome on 20 November 2014 and organised by the IAI and the Centro Studi Americani within the framework of the IAI research project Defence Matters. The two sessions developed a broad debate on the links between NATO's mandate as the guarantor of the euro-Atlantic security - and of the international one - and the Italian strategy to protect national interests. The first session placed a greater emphasis on the Alliance as an "insurance policy" for member states' national security, while the second session focused on international missions, discussing the balance between these missions and the Alliance's traditional task, that is collective defence – which according to some is a "trench". Confirming the key role of NATO in protecting member states' national interests, the participants called for a greater coordination at the European and the transatlantic level, aiming to facilitate the development of a medium- and long-term strategy, and a higher level of awareness in public opinion on the role played by NATO and by the foreign and defence policy.

Report of the conference "Gli interessi nazionali e la Nato: dalle missioni alla trincea?", organised in Rome on 20 November 2014 by the IAI and Centro Studi Americani (CSA) within the framework of the research project Defence Matters 2014, with the support of NATO Public Diplomacy Division.