On November 8, 2012 the Atlantic Council hosted a members’ conference call with The Honorable Alexander Vershbow, deputy secretary general of NATO, on NATO priorities after the US elections.

While foreign policy may not have been the focal point in this year’s presidential election, it will be a major undertaking for the new commander-in-chief, who must determine the trajectory of US military and foreign policy, especially in relations with our North Atlantic allies and global partners. As the United States approaches the 2013 Afghanistan drawdown, possible sequestration and budget cuts, and regional conflicts, the continuing role of NATO—and the role of the United States in NATO—is in question.

Alexander Vershbow, an Atlantic Council member, has been deputy secretary general of NATO since February 2012. In this capacity, he plays a key role in NATO’s evolving policy towards Syria. Before his appointment to NATO, Ambassador Vershbow served as US assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and as ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2005-08), the Russian Federation (2001-05), and NATO (1998-2001).

This conference call is part of a larger series of Corporate and Individual members’ programming, which seeks to provide members the opportunity to dialogue directly with experts and policymakers on the most relevant topics of the day.