Danish scholars though presented conflicting views on future of Nato in South Asia after Afghan combat and called for comprehensive multilateral debate to resolve the regional issues. Professor Dr Sten Rynning, University of Southern Denmark and Dr Peter Viggo Jakobsen of the Royal Danish Defence College were speaking at a public talk on 'Nato After Afghan Combat: Does Atlantic Alliance Have An Asian Future' here at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) on Tuesday.
Dr Sten Rynning, in his presentation, observed that Nato had become hostage to the Karzai regime and it lacked ideas to be "more strategic". He said that Nato was not about to resolve the Afghan conflict and it had to return home because of financial challenges and the 'Arab Spring'.
However, he pointed out that Nato, in its 10-year-long stay in Afghanistan, had created a space for setting up a political structure in consultation with all stakeholders. He gave a thoughtful overview of Nato and US engagement and their future in Asia, saying that the two have trans-Atlantic bargain commitment. "The United States provides security, and gains influence; and in return Europe provides access, capacity, and legitimacy, and gains security," he maintained.
He observed that Nato's changing role was really depleting from regional defence to international security management, which was now reverting back. He pointed out that Nato was "no lean, mean fighting machine". He said that Pakistan should go to Brussels and make its presence felt in shaping Nato's agenda by holding talks. He said that multilateral debate would not provide an immediate solution, but a beginning for what the region need.
Stressing the need for holding a multilateral debate for resolving regional issues, he said that Nato had no future in Asia. However, in his presentation on 'Global Nato after Afghanistan', another Danish scholar, Dr Peter Viggo Jakobsen came up with conflicting views that Nato had a bright future in Asia. He pointed out that China was on the rise and Nato's naval presence in Asian waters and important sea lanes was only possible through deeper partnerships with like-minded countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Giving a detailed presentation on Nato's concept, he also highlighted its role in Asia after Afghanistan. Defining Nato, he said that at the outset, it was a military alliance established to deter an attack from the Soviet Union on Western Europe and gradually emerged as a global security force.
He said that preventing a re-nationalisation of European Nato members' defence forces since 1989 had been a major stabilising factor in Europe. Dr Peter said that Nato would facilitate joint US-European operations despite a lack of UN mandate that prevented collective Nato action. With the rise of China, Nato's importance would increase, as China's rise would force much closer US-European co-operation in the region, he opined.
He said that Nato's mandate was no more about legality, but it was all about politics and to make "Americans happy". About the solution to the Afghan conflict, he said that stability in Afghanistan was only possible with a political set up in consultation with all Afghan stakeholders and backed by regional powers. Earlier, ISSI's Chairman Ambassador Gul Hanif said that the 63-year-old alliance's role had been considerably cut down. He said that Nato was conducting security operations in Afghanistan and training Afghan National Army.
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