A release published on the Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper website states that during the conference “Europe: Open Questions For A Common Future” held in Milan, the Italian foreign minister expressed the need to strengthen the “European pillar” in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

During the event, held at the Catholic University of Milan, capital of the northern region of Lombardy, Tajani pointed out that NATO is not only a military alliance but also a political one, and “it has been so far based on an unbalanced agreement, with a strong American pillar and a rickety European one.”

The diplomat questioned the preponderant role of the United States in this transatlantic war pact and pointed out that the European countries must increase their weight in that alliance “also out of dignity”, because “we cannot always wait for the strongest friend to come along and do something.”

Analysts said this position will be defended by Italy during the next NATO summit, to be held in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24-25.

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