NATO and Public Diplomacy

The USC Center on Public Diplomacy was pleased to welcome NATO Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck, Deputy Chief of Staff Joint Force Training at Allied Command Transformation, to discuss NATO’s public diplomacy initiatives.

Laying the foundation with the Partnership for Peace Program, NATO’s members are not limited to the Euro-Atlantic area, but include the Gulf and Asia-Pacific region. Lieutenant Viereck shared how this program fits into larger public diplomacy initiatives with partners around the globe.

NATO’s mission requires a wide network of partner relationships with countries and organizations around the globe. Establishing and maintaining these relationships involves NATO undertaking various public diplomacy initiatives.

About Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck
Lieutenant General Viereck is Deputy Chief of Staff Joint Force Training at Allied Command Transformation. His duties have ranged from combat pilot to assignments at the German Ministry of Defense and NATO. In 2006 and 2007, he commanded the EUFOR mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.. His military decorations include the Bundeswehr Cross of Honor in Silver and Gold, the European Security Defense Policy Service Medal, the Commander of the National Order of Merit (France), Cross of Merit 2nd Class of the Estonian Ministry of Defense and the National Defense Medal France.

About NATO
The fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries by political and military means. NATO provides a forum in which countries from North America and Europe can consult on security issues of common concern and take joint action in addressing them. NATO is the vital transatlantic bond of solidarity between America and European countries that share essential values and interests and are committed to the maintenance of democratic principles.