Public diplomacy is aimed at informing the general public about NATO, its organisation and activities. Lately, the focus was on informing the general public of the necessity of cooperation in the field of security on both sides of the Atlantic, NATO transformation process, the importance of NATO or NATO-led operations, the importance of cooperation between NATO and partner countries, the countries of the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia, and on cooperation with Russia and Ukraine as well as non-NATO countries.  

One of important NATO public diplomacy tools is NATO Contact Point Embassies. A Contact Point Embassy acts as a bridge between NATO and the receiving country, which it apprises of NATO and its activities. A Contact Point Embassy also cooperates with NATO representatives in organising seminars, conferences and round tables on NATO, and provides logistic support during the visits of NATO high officials, including the Secretary General.

On 1 January 2007, Slovenia assumed the role as the NATO Contact Point Embassy in Macedonia for a two-year period. Before, from 1 September 2004 to the end of 2006, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Vienna played the role of the NATO Contact Point Embassy in the Republic of Austria.

More information is available at:

http://www.nato.int/issues/faq/index.html

natodoc@hq.nato.int