UK ambassador to Armenia Katherine Leach presented a report on “NATO, new strategy” at a conference in Yerevan titled “NATO and new tendencies in modern world”, organized by Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC). According to her, shifts in NATO structure took place following the fall of the Soviet Union. The organization was initially established as a counterforce to the Soviet Union, the collapse of which brought about changes in the organization’s objective. Issues related to ensuring security of member states under new conditions, withstanding crises and countering terrorism were on conference agenda. NATO deploys defense systems in various parts of the world, with Afghanistan remaining the priority area for the Atlantic Alliance. The envoy stressed the need to resolve a number of issues within the alliance.

“NATO must prove the necessity of its operation,” Leach concluded.