Warsaw Summit a Step Further towards strengthening NATO-EU Partnership
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Photo From NATO Press & Media , NATO HQ website
Despite the fact that NATO remains the most advanced military alliance on the planet , given the evolving unprecedented security challenges and the need for a comprehensive approach to tackle them , NATO has started to put significant emphasis on partnerships , among which partnership with the EU is of particular importance . The importance of NATO-EU partnership lies in the fact that apart from the 22 countries that are members of both organizations , other EU members work together with NATO as part of the Alliance ’ s Partnership for Peace . In addition , both organizations share the same principles and values based on their strong commitment to freedom and democracy , human rights and the rule of law . Most importantly , NATO and the EU share common strategic interests and almost the same geographical area as well as the same threats and challenges from their Eastern and Southern neighborhoods and the instability they are prone to .
For , the relationship between two organizations has grown significantly despite the political constraints and sensitivities .
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Important steps have been taken based on respect towards the decision making autonomy of both organizations .
The last development on this regard has been the Joint declaration by the President of the European Council , the President of the European Commission , and NATO Secretary General during the Warsaw Summit in July 2016 . This declaration reflected the agreement between the parties on the strategic priority of NATO-EU cooperation and implementation of common action in order to :
�� ������������������������������������ threats ;
�� �������� ���� ������ ������������ cooperation ;
�� �������������������������������curity and defense ;
�� �����������������������������ry and interoperable defense capabilities , as well as multilateral projects ;
�� ����������� �� ��������� �������� ��dustry and greater defense research and industrial cooperation ;
�� ����������������������������������� starting from 2017 and 2018 ;
�� ���������������������������������pacity and foster the resilience of partners in the East and South . 1
NATO , the EU and their member states are already contributing to the Euro-Atlantic security . Yet the implementation of the cooperation on areas highlighted on the joint declaration will avoid the blatant duplication of structures , capabilities and efforts and contribute towards more effective actions . However , this has not been the initial step . The decision to cooperate on security issues has a long history starting with the Berlin Plus Agreement in 2003 which constitutes the foundation for practical work in crisis management between EU and NATO . That was a milestone agreement allowing the European Union to have access to NATO ’ s collective assets and capabilities for EU-led operations , in which NATO as a whole is not engaged 2 . On the other hand , EU serves with its ability and institutional framework using foreign and security policy instruments such as sanctions , diplomacy , development and economic assistance .