DCM Silverman Discusses NATO Summit Successes with Foreign Policy Audience

April 4, 2008

At a conference held April 4 addressing the subject, "Frozen Conflict or Strategic Partnership?  Strategies and Missions of the EU and NATO," Deputy Chief of Mission Lawrence Silverman recounted the progress made at the Bucharest NATO Summit that strengthened the Alliance. The conference, organized by the Center for European and North Atlantic Affairs, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Slovak Strategic Forum, attracted participants from the Slovak Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces officials and Slovak think tank representatives alongside officials and analysts from Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and Serbia. Mr. Silverman lauded the “Strategic Vision” for ISAF that proposes, among other things, coordination of military and civilian efforts in Afghanistan. Mr. Silverman also noted the increased contributions to Afghanistan at Bucharest, and called for the lifting of national caveats.  Other highlights of the summit, according to Mr. Silverman, were NATO’s endorsement of the U.S. missile defense contributions and the progress on enlargement, with the admission of Albania and Croatia and the promise that one day Ukraine and Georgia will be NATO members.