The NATO Council’s annual Spring Conference was held on April 8, 2010. This year’s topic was ‘Minimizing Conflict in the Race for Natural Resources: Securing Economic Stability in the 21st Century’, looking at different issues pertaining to energy security from geopolitical, economic and military standpoints. Conference attendees were offered an in-depth look at many different aspects of resource scarcity from an impressive list of speakers from a wide range of industries and professional backgrounds. The speakers provided thorough, informed and detailed discussions that sparked debate and dialogue on how energy security will impact both the public and private sectors and how NATO will define its role in dealing with the increasingly complex security issue.
Last year’s coup has left much uncertainty as to Thailand’s future. Paul Pryce writes on how the turmoil has affected the Royal Thai Navy, a valuable NATO partner at sea.