On February 24th, 2012, the Atlantic Council hosted an off-the-record roundtable discussion with Ambassador Dirk Brengelmann, NATO assistant secretary for Political Affairs and Security Policy, who discussed strategic priorities for NATO on the eve of the North Atlantic Council’s visit to Washington, DC next week and in the lead-up to the Alliance’s Chicago Summit in May.

Ambassador Brengelmann, who is responsible for advising NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on political issues affecting the security of the Alliance, talked about NATO’s strategic priorities in the run up to the May Chicago Summit. Among others issues, he addressed the importance of the successful implementation of Smart Defense to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of scarce defense resources, NATO’s efforts to ensure a coherent and unified approach vis-à-vis the transition of security responsibility in Afghanistan, and the prospects for an enhanced agenda for NATO partnerships.

Ambassador Dirk Brengelmann was appointed NATO assistant secretary general for political affairs and security policy at the beginning of 2010. In this capacity, he was deeply involved in the 2011 NATO military mission in Libya and served as the primary point of contact with the Libyan National Transitional Council. Previously, he held various positions at the Federal Chancellery and the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, and served as deputy director in the Private Office of NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson.