Nicholas Williams OBE was a long serving member of NATO’s International Staff, most recently as Head of Operations for Afghanistan and Iraq. Prior to this Nick served in senior positions in NATO, EU, and British missions in Afghanistan, Bosnia Hercegovina, and Iraq.
Nick began his career in the British Ministry of Defence, with multiple secondments to NATO functions during the Cold War and to the French Ministry of Defence in its aftermath.
ELN Senior Associate Fellow Nicholas Williams argues that, even if the EU’s military function in Bosnia has evolved from a deterrent to a reassurance role, the military presence could at some stage become an obstacle to progress towards EU membership.
Despite the latest show of EU-NATO burgeoning collaboration, the Berlin Plus agreement has seemingly been quietly forgotten. Now is the time to recall the benefits of the only framework for NATO-EU operational cooperation in a crisis.
ELN senior associate fellows offer their predictions and views on the regions and developments to keep a close eye on in 2018.