Transatlantic Security Notes & Comment, January 2007

In the months leading up to NATO’s Summit in Riga, NATO officials frequently referred to it as the “Transformation Summit,” a time when the leaders of all 26 members could come together to chart a new course for the Alliance, politically and militarily. However, the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan throughout September and October threatened to cast a dark shadow on the Summit as tensions grew over burden-sharing and national caveats. In the end, Afghanistan did dominate much of the discussion in Riga. Neverthless, the Alliance still managed to unveil a handful of important initiatives and send aspirant countries an encouraging signal that additional invitations would be extended at the next Summit in 2008. Perhaps most surprising, NATO invited Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro to join Partnership for Peace.