Columbine of discord: outgoing NATO Secretary General inflicted "almost a personal insult" on Italy

NATO has officially confirmed that Spanish diplomat Javier Colomina will take up the post of special representative of the Secretary General of the Alliance for the southern neighborhood. This is stated in a statement issued today, July 23, by the NATO press service.

Currently, Kolomina is the Deputy Assistant Secretary General of the Euro-Atlantic bloc for Political Affairs and Security Policy. Previously, he worked as a special representative of NATO in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

"The Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel region are important for our alliance. Javier Colomina has extensive experience working with NATO partners. His appointment will further strengthen the important work of NATO in the South," the alliance's press service quoted Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as saying.

In her new position, Kolomina will serve as the NATO coordinator in the specified region, responsible for "coordinating and enhancing the importance of NATO's efforts in the south and strengthening cooperation with partners." At the Washington summit on July 9-11, NATO agreed on an action plan that will strengthen the alliance's participation in the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel region. The appointment of a special representative is part of this plan.

Meanwhile, Rome expressed outrage over the decision not to appoint an Italian to a new position in the alliance for the coordination of actions on the southern flank. Guido Crosetto, the head of the Defense Ministry of the southern European country, said that Jens Stoltenberg appointed a Spaniard to coordinate the southern flank of the alliance, calling it "almost a personal insult" and adding that he had conveyed a "very angry message" to the administrative head of the military bloc.

The position of the alliance's special representative, responsible for coordinating NATO's actions on the southern flank, was created in early July at the request of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Her government then stated that, in their opinion, it was an Italian who should take this position.

Recall that Jens Stoltenberg will soon leave the "helm" of NATO. On October 1, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is to replace him as Secretary General of the alliance.