By Sam Marrero
For the 14th consecutive year, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) jointly organized the Parliamentary Transatlantic Forum with NDU's Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) and the Atlantic Council of the United States (ACUS). Each year, this event is the single largest gathering of NATO member country legislators in Washington D.C., and each year it is held at NDU. The event offers top US government officials from the Department of State, Department of Defense and other agencies the special opportunity to communicate directly with the elected representatives of America's allied nations. With more than 120 parliamentarians in attendance, representing 25 NATO countries and two associated member countries, the 2014 NATO PA is the largest Transatlantic Forum to date. The opportunity to hear the "American perspective" is a key draw for NATO parliamentarians.
"This event is the highlight of the year," NATO PA Secretary General David Hobbs said.
NDU understands the importance of keeping the transatlantic relationship strong and responsive to a challenging and evolving security environment. Steve Hadley, who served as national security advisor to President George W. Bush and currently serves as the senior advisor for international affairs at the United States Institute of Peace, gave a riveting keynote address and took questions about the security situation affecting Ukraine. The Honorable Michael Turner, U.S. Representative for Ohio's 10th congressional district and president of the NATO PA, convened day two of the Transatlantic Forum with remarks citing the aim to nudge the present administration forward in support of necessary action.
Though all sessions featured prominent speakers, "Delivering on the Wales Summit Commitments: Readiness, Resources, Capabilities and the Future of Transatlantic Cooperation" was particularly noteworthy in that it featured two four-star generals: retired General Chuck Wald of the US Air Force, who served as the deputy commander of US European Command and General Jean-Paul Palomeros, NATO'S supreme allied commander for transformation.