NATO leader Rasmussen to speak on partnership May 11 at I-House

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, will discuss the critical importance of partner nations during a Wednesday, May 11 talk at International House.

The event, titled “NATO and Russia: Why Cooperation Counts,” will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include a 30-minute question-and-answer period with students and community members. The event is free and open to the public and is being hosted by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Studies, the International House Global Voices Program and NATO.

Rasmussen is visiting UChicago as part of a four-city tour intended to connect NATO’s leader with the U.S. public at a time when the United States and its NATO allies are more active than ever in pursuing their common goals of peace, security and democracy. This is NATO’s first tour intended for the American general public in more than a decade.

“This is a pivotal time in NATO's development, and we commend Secretary General Rasmussen for engaging the U.S. public, including the universities, in the dialogue,” said Colm O’Muircheartaigh, dean of Chicago Harris, who will introduce the Secretary General and moderate the Q&A session. “His perspective on global partnerships and the continuing significance of existing international alliances provides an invaluable insight for our students and faculty.”

Based in Brussels, Belgium, NATO is a political and military alliance with 28 member countries from North America and Europe. Its primary role since its founding in 1949 has been to protect the freedom and security of its members, but it has increasingly moved into crisis management around the world.

In addition to his Chicago appearance, Rasmussen also will make stops in Atlanta, Austin, and Washington, D.C.