“The results achieved by NATO are evident and extraordinary: first of all the 70 years of peace on the European continent. The Atlantic Alliance represents for Italy a cornerstone in coordination with the EU that contributes to stability ".

It is a passage from the speech of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who spoke from the NATO base in Naples, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the presence of the Alliance in Italy.

"I am convinced - added the head of state - that the strengthening of the European Union in the field of defense and security, based on complementarity with NATO and the sharing of military resources, will provide a valuable and qualified contribution to the process of strengthening the 'Alliance for the stability of the indispensable transatlantic relationship ".

"The European Union - continued Mattarella - is in fact in full complementarity with NATO, strengthening its role as a security producer. Increasing our capabilities, making the Union a more credible actor is important for Europe and, I would like to add, it is also the case for the United States, in a world increasingly characterized by the leading role of major international players ".

The president also spoke about the Afghan situation. “In recent weeks - he said - we have seen the situation in Afghanistan worsen. Even closer to us the crises do not subside: from Syria to the Eastern Mediterranean; from the unresolved Ukrainian question to the alarming situation in Belarus. All this - he concluded - places us in front of choices that concern both the internal and external dimensions of the European Union ".

(Unioneonline / lf)

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