At NATO Summit Simulation game, young people demonstrate understanding and erudition on NATO agenda in Afghanistan

On 29 April, Foreign Minister Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis opened the NATO Summit Simulation game 2011, "Afghanistan 2014: NATO's further role in the stabilization of the region". Ambassador-at-Large, former ambassador of Latvia to NATO Jānis Eichmanis moderated the event and lived the part of NATO’s Secretary General. The aim of the simulation game is to broaden young people's knowledge and interest in the issues of NATO, international security and defence policy, thereby facilitating young generation's political participation, independent research, advancement of analytical ability and erudition, as well as the understanding of the process of political and military decision-making.

During the game, secondary school pupils and university students from all over Latvia represent NATO's member countries, having in advance carefully studied the policy of a respective country concerning Afghanistan. The young participants demonstrated thorough understanding, erudition and knowledge in the current NATO agenda in Afghanistan, and actively debated further actions of the Allies in Afghanistan, the goals and tasks of the ISAF mission, and gradual transfer of responsibility for security in the country to the Afghans themselves until 2014. Active discussions took place on the significance of civilian and military involvement, and increasing civilian involvement in Afghanistan, as well as on the co-operation among the NATO’S strategic partners, with the EU, UN and the region’s countries.

The participants had to agree on a joint NATO declaration concerning Afghanistan and to achieve consensus in a number of issues. Following intense discussions and mutual adjustment of positions, a common opinion was achieved that security and stability in Afghanistan was directly related to the security of the Alliance. The ISAF mission in Afghanistan should be regarded not only as contribution the allied collective security principle but also as each member country’s contribution to the security of their own state.

To achieve the goal, ISAF countries should continue with contributing to the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) – the formation of the army and police, their training and equipment, as well as seeking additional opportunities for supporting other challenges, including conciliation and integration of the society. Afghanistan should continue its work on national priority programmes. A well-coordinated support by the international community was essential to the Afghan government’s plans to implement change, notably concerning the local capacity building economic development and conciliation.

In addition, the participants had to deal with a special assignment: to agree on a joint NATO member state response and to adopt a joint statement regarding unexpected unfolding of the crisis in Afghanistan’s border areas. Here, too, young people demonstrated an ability to respond fast and to take decisions promptly thus demonstrating in practice that NATO was an alliance the power of which lies in the political will for a concerted action.

All through the day, the teams' work, activity, argumentation and conduct was evaluated by a panel of experts who after lengthy deliberations chose the best six teams.

The winners were Edgars Žukovskis and Jānis Glāznieks from the Sigulda State Gymnasium, who represented Romania; Elīna Baltroka and Līva Brēmere from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Latvia, representing Germany, placed second; third place was taken by Staņislavs Lopatkins, the Faculty of Social Sciences, and Anna Koleda, the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia, both playing for the Netherlands. With support from the People’s Party on the European Parliament, they will go on a two-day trip to Brussels and visit the European Parliament headquarters. The team of the University of Latvia Faculty of Economics and Management (representing Canada) ranked fourth, while the fifth and sixth place were taken respectively by the Poland team (Riga Stradiņš University, Faculty of European Studies) and the Lithuania team from the University of Latvia. They all received valuable books from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

The NATO Summit Simulation game was organised for the third time by the Foreign Ministry in association with the Transatlantic Organisation of Latvia (LATO), and also with assistance from the Ministry of Defence, NATO's Public Diplomacy Department, and Konrad Adenauer Foundation. This year, the game was also supported by the People’s Party group of the European Parliament and the office of the MEP Sandra Kalniete.