NATO needed to mitigate threats from contested spaces: U.S. Commander

A senior US Commander has said that strong multilateral forums like the NATO are needed to mitigate threats arising from contested spaces in the presently growing interconnected world.

Admiral Michele Howard, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, while delivering the key note address on the third day of the second Raisina Dialogue here said, "As a multilateral actor for collective defence, the 28-member NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is a model for multilateralism."

Pointing out the shift in America's trade across the Atlantic and the Pacific, Admiral Howard said this is also shaping the dynamics of global trade.

She said NATO's engagement with the European Union is "at the heart of Europe's security" and engagement with African Union is "promising and fruitful". These are examples of how regional forums are useful platforms for cooperation their own security and also to serve global security.

Responding to a question, she said that NATO and the European Union have been "synchronising their activities, sharing logistics support."

A challenge that confronts the world in the cyber domain and to address cyber security threats "we need to be innovative", Admiral Howard said.

She said NATO will continue to defend democratic ethos and support open societies as intolerance and religious extremism are emerging as major threats to global security.

NATO also engages several countries in cooperative dialogue and "this is a perfect concept of collective defence." Building partnerships should form the New Normal, said Admiral Howard.

More than 250 participants from 65 countries are taking part in this year's three-day Dialogue, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The first edition was attended by 120 participants from 40 countries.