İtalya'dan NATO'da 70 Yıllık Güvenlik Hizmeti Sergisi

Amb. Azzoni, 'NATO a pillar of stability, Italy on the front lines of security'

(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, 08 GIU - At the heart of peacekeeping missions in the Balkans, deterrence operations on the Alliance’s eastern flank, exercises with partners, and support for civilian populations affected by crises and disasters. Italy’s presence in NATO spans over seventy years of history and is encapsulated in the photographic exhibition “Security and Protection: Italy in NATO in the Service of Peace and Stability,” produced by the Permanent Representation of Italy to the North Atlantic Alliance in collaboration with ANSA. "For a country, knowing how to defend itself today means not only ensuring deterrence, but also promoting security and, above all, protecting: people, democratic institutions, and the values that define our societies. In an international context marked by rapid transformations and increasingly complex challenges, this concept underpins the contribution that Italy makes today to the Atlantic Alliance," emphasized Italy’s Ambassador to NATO, Alessandro Azzoni, noted while inaugurating the exhibition during the June 2 celebrations held at Villa Brosio in Brussels. The exhibition traces, through a selection of images, Italy’s contribution to Euro-Atlantic security: from the historic NATO headquarters in Bagnoli to the most recent air policing missions in the Baltic states, via Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, all the way to training and military cooperation activities in which Italy is among the Alliance’s key players. "We are living through a complex phase: NATO is a pillar of stability and cooperation to which our country has actively contributed since 1949. This photographic exhibition aims to tell the story of the present, rooted in the past and projecting our actions into the future," the ambassador emphasized. "These images bear witness to the daily commitment of Italian men and women in international missions and peacekeeping operations, but also in the protection of civilian populations, crisis management, and strengthening societies in terms of resilience. Defense, security, and protection are not distinct concepts, but interconnected dimensions of the same responsibility. I am referring to our country’s efforts to prevent conflicts, support paths toward stability and growth, and invest in development and cooperation.” An approach that, in the ambassador’s words, goes beyond the strictly military dimension and calls for a broader conception of security. "It is a vision that reflects Italy’s founding values: the centrality of the individual, respect for rights, and a commitment to an international order based on shared rules—principles that also guide our foreign policy," he added, expressing the hope that the exhibition “may, in its own small way, help reinforce the awareness that security is never a given, but a common good to be built and preserved every day.” This, he emphasized, is “a commitment that Italy continues to pursue, together with its allies, with responsibility, professionalism, and a sense of duty.” Read article...