ABSTRACT

Sixty-five years ago The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stood on the verge of the first nuclear age; today the Alliance stands on the verge of the third, and NATO has a vital role to play in the new deterrence which will once again become central to twenty-first-century collective defense. Based on solidarity, Alliance cohesion, and the indivisibility of the security, NATO remains the transatlantic framework for strong collective defense and the essential forum for security consultations and decisions among Allies. The 2010 NATO Strategic Concept confirms three core Alliance missions: collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security. The European Union (EU) remains a unique and essential partner for NATO. The Defence Capacity Building (DCB) initiative launched at the NATO Wales Summit was an important first step on a new NATO stabilization mission. NATO is the enduring alliance, but only time will tell if it remains so. Perhaps the last word should be left to NATO and its leaders.