The future of relations between NATO and the European Union was under the spotlight at a conference taking place in the Italian capital Rome on Wednesday where speakers were to include Italy's defence minister Roberta Pinotti and chief of defence staff Claudio Graziano.
The 'NATO-EU Cooperation - What Future?' conference is being held at the Italian Senate upper house of parliament and is being organised by the Italian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and Italian geopolitical think-tank Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI).
"This is a key challenge, also in light of the significant developments emerging in the area of European defence thanks to our government and especially to our minister of defence," said the Italian delegation's president Andrea Manciulli.
He was referring to a plan agreed to on 13 December by 23 EU states for permanent structured military co-operation.
