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On Defense, France Bites the Bullet, But Avoids Strategic Insolvency May 7, 2013
Iceland’s Recovery Saga Presents Opportunities for Brussels, Washington—and Beijing May 6, 2013
Which Way Forward for Europe’s Hybrid Regimes? May 2, 2013
The Arab Revolts and the Liberal Order May 2, 2013
Events
Andrew Light Speaker Tour in Europe May 14, 2013 / Berlin, Germany; Brussels, BelgiumGMF Senior Fellow Andrew Light participated in a speaking tour in Europe to discuss opportunities for transatlantic cooperation on climate and energy policy in the second Obama administration.
In this podcast, GMF Vice President of Programs Ivan Vejvoda discusses last month's historic agreement to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
Anchor Elaine Reyes speaks with Andrew Small, Transatlantic Fellow of the Asia Program for the German Marshall Fund, about Beijing's potential role in brokering peace between Israel and Palestine
Events
NATO and Afghanistan: the Ambassadors’ Perspective February 24, 2010 / Washington, DC
On February 24, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) hosted a luncheon roundtable discussion on NATO and Afghanistan: the Ambassadors' Perspective featuring Ambassador Ivo Daalder, permanent U.S. representative for NATO, Ambassador Kim Traavik, permanent Norwegian representative for NATO, and Ambassador Stefano Stefanini, permanent Italian representative for NATO. GMF Executive Vice President Karen Donfried moderated the event.The roundtable focused on the future of Afghanistan, NATO's mission there, and the implications of that mission for NATO. As the site of NATO's largest operation to date, Afghanistan has dominated global headlines for nearly eight years. Now that the international community has increased its troop commitments, General Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and commander of the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, has called securing the Afghan population ISAF's number one priority. President Barack Obama has also signaled that U.S. forces will begin to draw down in July 2011.
Acknowledging the challenges that face NATO, including a skeptical public, the ambassadors emphasized the need to better inform the public that this effort does not represent an occupation of Afghanistan. Additionally, the NATO ambassadors addressed the significant challenge of coordinating ISAF's efforts with those of other international actors engaged in civilian work in the country.
The ambassadors highlighted the importance of Afghanistan standing on its own two feet, as well as their view that the mission in Afghanistan is not simply an American effort, but rather a global undertaking. The universal theme, resonating throughout the ambassadors' remarks, was that NATO and its member countries share a strong sense of commitment to the mission in Afghanistan and are all in this together, now more so than ever.
