NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday appointed a group of experts, among them Ambassador Tacan İldem, a senior Turkish diplomat currently serving as NATO’s assistant secretary-general for public diplomacy, to study ways to further strengthen the political dimension of the alliance.
Turkey's Ambassador İldem will be among the group of five male and five female experts from allied countries.
The group "will offer recommendations to reinforce Alliance unity, increase political consultation and coordination between Allies, and strengthen NATO's political role," a NATO statement Tuesday said.
At their meeting in London last year, NATO leaders agreed to a forward-looking reflection process under the auspices of the secretary-general. It will offer recommendations to reinforce Alliance unity, increase political consultation and coordination between allies, and strengthen NATO’s political role. The composition of the group advising the secretary-general on the reflection process takes into account gender balance, relevant experience and the geographic distribution of allies. The group will engage with allied capitals and the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s decision-making body, and other relevant stakeholders.
"Honoured, while completing my current mandate, to be nominated by #NATO SG @jensstoltenberg to the Reflection Group. Look forward, together with my colleagues, to contributing to the reflection process to strengthen the political dimension of NATO," İldem wrote on Twitter.
The other appointed members are Greta Bossenmaier of Canada, Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen of Denmark, Hubert Vedrine of France, Thomas de Maiziere of Germany, Marta Dassu of Italy, Herna Verhagen of the Netherlands, Anna Fotyga of Poland, John Bew of the United Kingdom, and Wess Mitchell of the United States.
