Ammon News - Former Jordanian Minister and Ambassador Dr. Ahmad Khalaf Masa’deh affirmed that the Middle East stands today at a strategic crossroads that requires a shift from crisis management toward addressing the root causes of instability, within a long-term vision grounded in human security and balanced partnerships. He emphasized that Jordan, through its long-standing approach based on dialogue and moderation, has worked quietly and constructively for decades with partners across the Euro-Atlantic community in peacekeeping, intelligence cooperation, counter-terrorism, and humanitarian response.

Masa’deh noted that the establishment of NATO’s Liaison Office in Amman reflects confidence in Jordan’s approach and provides a practical platform for enhancing coordination, building trust, and bridging international strategic visions with regional realities.

His remarks were delivered while chairing a panel session at a conference organized in Rome by the NATO Defense College Foundation, in cooperation with the International Council on Environmental Economics and Development, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and NATO. The conference was attended by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Uwaisheg, along with a large number of European and Arab political, diplomatic, military, academic figures, and civil society representatives.

Masa’deh stressed that the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people lies at the heart of one of the region’s oldest and deepest crises, underscoring that the absence of a just and lasting political solution leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state remains a major obstacle to any sustainable security architecture in the Middle East. He emphasized that ending humanitarian suffering must be viewed as a strategic interest, not merely a moral obligation.

He further noted that the region cannot be reduced to scenes of conflict alone, pointing to rapid strategic shifts reshaping Allied priorities across the Euro-Atlantic space, particularly the recalibration of the U.S. role and the move from comprehensive engagement toward more selective approaches based on burden-sharing and balanced regional partnerships.

Masa’deh also highlighted the importance of strengthening coherence among existing institutional frameworks amid the proliferation of European and transatlantic initiatives. He pointed out that recent decisions taken at the Washington Summit — including the focus on the Southern Flank, the appointment of a Special Representative for the Southern Neighbourhood, and the opening of NATO’s Liaison Office in Amman — reflect a growing recognition that Euro-Atlantic security begins in the south as much as it does in the east.

He concluded by emphasizing that the real challenge lies not in the lack of tools or initiatives, but in the ability to integrate them into a coherent and actionable roadmap addressing human security, economic cooperation, resource sustainability, and peace-building. He also identified key shared priorities, including hybrid threats and disinformation, energy transition and water security, climate change impacts, migration and human rights, as well as post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization, particularly in Gaza and Syria.