Today the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano chaired the Supreme Defence Committee meeting, also attended by Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti
In the last few months the international situation has shown worrying signs of a worsening trend. The Ukraine crisis, growing instability in Libya, expansion of Islamic extremism in Sub-Saharan Africa, the recent Sunni jihadist offensive in Iraq and the enduring Syrian conflict may cause radical security changes in Europe and Italy.
It is now clear that every failed state inevitably becomes a center of attraction and global spreading of extremism and unlawfulness. Ensuring support, at both pre-emptive and reconstruction phase level- to the institutional architecture of Nations that have been the aim –or are at risk- of aggressions is, therefore, extremely important, in order to make them able to ensure order and respect of the law.
The discussion aimed at identifying appropriate political and diplomatic solutions is the main priority for the international community, given the crisis scenarios and serious, complex problems and challenges it has to face. That’s why Italy has sought and will continue to seek new opportunities - such as the ones that have recently emerged in connection with some of the most critical situations- to establish relationships and conclude agreements.
At the same time, it is necessary to bring to completion as soon as possible the thorough review, reorganization and integration process, at, respectively, joint and multinational level, aimed at enhancing readiness and effectiveness of the military instrument, to be able to tackle emerging threats, on the basis of the limited availability of resources.
In this view, the Committee gave full support to the Guidelines that will be the basis of the Defence White Paper and of the development strategy of the Armed Forces for the next 15 years, illustrated by Minister Pinotti during the meeting.
The Guidelines provide for a military instrument that must be an active and qualifying component of the multi- disciplinary, inter-ministerial security and defence policy of the Government, able to effectively contribute to safeguard the national economic and social development policies within the international context.
The architecture of the Armed Forces must be closely integrated in a joint perspective and in terms of command structure, with capabilities that must be calibrated and specifically structured on the basis of the specific requirements to be met.The Guidelines reiterate the fundamental importance of a readiness-based and effective collective defence.
Therefore, Italy will promote new forms of military integration within the framework of EU Common Security and Defence Policy by implementing concrete initiatives able to unite groups of member states sharing significant national security and defence objectives, according to structured, variable-architecture cooperation modes provided for in international treaties, and to gradually generate a higher level of inter-dependence among them.
For an Armed Force’s reform that is useful for the Country, the problem of resources remains the central theme. While searching for all possible forms of effective and saving strategies, assigned resources shall not fall below the minimum qualifying threshold.
The Defence Minister will submit the Guidelines to the attention of the Presidents of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees of the Lower House and Senate, so that they can provide assessments and, possibly, suggestions that will be useful in defining the White Paper, for which the Government has assumed responsibility.
Moreover, the informal dialogue established with industry representatives and economic and financial experts will continue, while a broader discussion with the general public will be started.
The expert working group will immediately resume its work. Its format and modes of action will suit the new work phase.
