Friday, 15 January 2021
ORIENTATION SEMINAR FOR THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT TO NATO PA
Within the organization of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and NATO, on 14th January 2021, through the KUDO platform was held the orientation seminar for the newly elected MPs, which since 2000 is regularly held in Brussels. This online event was attended by the MPs Pavle Trajanov and Arbana Pasholli, members of the Committee on Defense and Security, and by the Parliamentary staff the event was followed by the Secretariat of the Delegation of the Assembly to NATO PA. The MPs from NATO member countries: UK, Republic of Slovenia, Republic of Slovakia, Romania, Republic of Poland, Lithuania, French Republic, Canada and the Kingdom of Belgium, as well as the event was attended by NATO associate members and observer countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, BiH, Republic of Moldavia and Republic of Serbia.
The President of NATO PA, the American Congressman Gerald Connolly, addressed the attendees and reflected on the recent developments and the attack of the Capitol, the most sacred place of the American democracy. He underlined that the values of democracy were desecrated, but not destroyed, because these are the eternal ideals of the American nation that they will continue to fight for and preserve. Regarding the collective security, he emphasized that in each country there in an internal extremism which is as a virus that constantly tests the democracy, but if acted individually and collectively, the victory is guaranteed. Relating these phenomena in security terms, Mr. Connolly emphasized the role of the NATO Alliance which for more than 70 years defends these values
and contributes to global peace.
On the current political agenda of NATO key speaker was James Mackey, Director for Security Policy and Partnerships in NATO, who referred to the strategic priorities of NATO in terms of internal and external priorities of the Alliance. Both internal priorities are the initiative of NATO Secretary General “NATO 2030" and the emerged and threatening technologies. The Agenda “NATO 2030” aims to model the Alliance in the next 10 years according to the new challenges, thus maintaining it strong in military term, strong in political context and will strengthen its image as a global perspective. 
As external strategic priorities, Mr. Mackey elaborated the relations with Russia, Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan and China. The joint denominator of these priorities is the dialogue and strengthening the defense capacities of the Alliance in terms of possible challenges.
NATO PA Secretary General, Ruxandra Popa welcomed the new delegations and the new parliamentarians and introduced them with the operation of this Assembly. The exceptional benefits in their work which are nurtured for 70 years which she underlined are: the interactive relations of the MPs with NATO PA Secretariat, the opportunity to express diverse opinions on individual delicate issues in the Alliance with emerge between the allies as well as the importance of the parliamentary contribution to their resolution. She particularly underlined the enormous significance of the parliamentary dimension in the Agenda “NATO 2030”, in which a great significance is put to the role of parliamentarians in building joint attitudes of the Alliance.
The Head for Europe and Central Asia Division of the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) Darko Stancic, referred to the cooperation of this organization with NATO PA in project support of the reform of the security sector in the countries of the Peace Partnership. In this context, was praised the cooperation with the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia regarding the undertaken reform projects within DCAF in the domain of parliamentary control on the security and intelligence system, an issue which deserves a particular attention in the states whose political systems are defined as parliamentary democracies.
The Orientation Seminar of NATO PA is primarily focused for young of newly elected parliamentarians from nations of NAYO and the European Atlantic Partnership Council EAPC), as well as for those who begin to work in security or foreign affairs. The Program aims to provide a detailed review of functioning and policies of NATO and SHAPE, as well as of the development of the relations of the Alliance with its numerous partners.