VOA常速英语2007-NATO Security Experts Stress Cooperation to Comb

By Sabina Castelfranco
Palermo
05 October 2007

Security experts are gathered for a two-day meeting in Sicily organized by the Italian Atlantic Committee and the Atlantic Treaty Association, umbrella organizations working on security issues in NATO countries. The discussions are focusing on the need to increase stability in the Mediterranean¹ region. For VOA, Sabina Castelfranco reports from Palermo.

In an address at the start of the conference, NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo said the North Atlantic alliance faces new security risks that need to quickly be addressed.

 

Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Italy have experienced an influx² of illegal immigrants, particularly from Iraq, Afghanistan, and west Africa. Although stricter border checks and cooperation with migrants' countries of origin have helped ease the influx, there are other issues that pose security threats to the region.

These include an increase in terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

Minuto Rizzo outlined steps that the NATO alliance needs to take to combat these issues.

"One, developing our cooperation with other international actors; two, improving our capabilities³, and three, deepening and extending our partnerships," he said.

Minuto Rizzo said more than 50,000 troops are deployed⁵ under NATO's operational command on three different continents. He says a strong partnership⁴ is needed between NATO and the European Union in order to maintain security throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In a video message at the conference, Franco Frattini, justice and security commissioner⁶ for the EU, agreed on the importance of strengthening Euro-Atlantic ties, which includes the United States, a NATO member.

Frattini says the Mediterranean can and must become a region of peace and economic development. He said NATO can no longer just focus on military defense⁷ but must turn toward cooperation on the political and security fronts.

Frattini said that cooperation between the European Union and NATO will strengthen the region's abililty to prevent and react to terrorism. He said Europe is a target of terrorism as are the Mediterranean states, and that is why common efforts must be made.

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

3 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。