11 February 2026, Rome, Italy – The high-level workshop, co-organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, its Centre for Global Studies (PAM-CGS) and the NATO Defense College Foundation (NDCF) “Regions at the Centre – Cooperative Security: Cooperation versus Fragmentation”, took place in Rome.
The workshop brought together more than 80 distinguished participants, coming from Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, among them senior decision-makers, international experts and practitioners, as well as representatives of the diplomatic community.
Welcome remarks were delivered by H.E Amb. Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo, President of the NDCF, Amb. Prof. Abdulsalam AlMadani, Chair of PAM-CGS, Hon. Giulio Centemero, PAM President, and the executive officials Of the Assembly.
Moreover, H.E. Guido Crosetto, Italian Minister of Defense, addressed the audience through a written statement.
In his address, Amb. Minuto-Rizzo underscored the importance of regions as central actors in the international community and highlighted cooperative security as an indispensable and flexible framework grounded in dialogue and practical collaboration. He cautioned against the risks of international fragmentation and stressed that security and humanity require active commitment, mutual understanding, and sustained cooperation.
On his side, Amb. AlMadani emphasized the importance of trust and reputation in building strong partnerships. He underlined that PAM’s Centre for Global Studies has focused on trust and cooperation versus fragmentation within the international community and have been at the disposal of Member Parliaments and non-members for rigorous research and collaboration on various topics, primarily trust in the media. Amb. AlMadani called for continued cooperation with the NATO Defense College Foundation, as crucial in advancing important issues of concern to the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf Regions.
President Centemero underlined the growing risks of global fragmentation caused by the erosion of international law and declining trust in multilateral governance. He reaffirmed multilateralism as a fundamental pillar for peace, security, and sustainable development, stressing that stability can only be achieved collectively through dialogue and practical cooperation.
In this context, he highlighted the role of regional organizations in fostering trust and cooperation, recalling PAM’s contribution since 2006 and the expansion of its membership across the Euro Mediterranean and Gulf regions.
H.E. Guido Crosetto highlighted that peace is not a permanent state, but a balance we must build and defend each day. He underlined that credible deterrence remains essential to protect peace, and that security is not in contrast with health or education, but the very condition that enables them.
Minister Crosetto further stressed the importance of a strong, cohesive NATO, greater European defense integration, and deeper cooperation with strategic partners across Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, and beyond. In this view, he emphasized that investing in technology, innovation, and shared industrial capabilities is vital for Europe to remain resilient and sovereign in a rapidly changing world. //