Policy Paper - NATO’s Southern Neighbourhood - February 2021

The Wars in Syria and in April 2019 after months of mass protests, Libya but the corrupt and autocratic regime that he created is largely intact and run by a group of The bloody civil wars in Syria and Libya have businessmen, politicians, and military leaders.5 evolved over the years into proxy wars, Despite expectations in the Western The bloody civil wars in Syria and Libya world, the Arab Sprin. [...] NATO has offered Libya some (a ‘safe zone’ along its border with Syria, and carrots in the form of “appropriate” assistance the Idlib province); and one by the Kurdish in coordination with the UN and the EU, and population with American and other Western possible participation in the Mediterranean support (the north-eastern regions). [...] NATO in the Region The centuries’ old feud between Greece and Turkey, including the issue of Cyprus following Of the nine EU and NATO allies located on the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of the northern shores of the Mediterranean the northern part of the island, erupted again Sea, France, Italy, Turkey, and Spain have the in the summer of 2020, this time threatening strongest militaries, po. [...] Views from the Region NATO, the EU, the UN, and the African Union play key roles in the fight against terrorism Southern Allies, including Romania and and violent extremism, and in defence Bulgaria, rightly expect NATO to take threats capacity building and security sector reform and challenges from the south as seriously as in MENA countries. [...] in Syria and Libya to flank the Alliance and Europe from the south Allies in the Mediterranean region rightly expect NATO to take threats and challenges from the south as seriously The EU’s effectiveness in responding to these as they do those from the east.