The snapshot provided in this chapter leads to one overarching conclusion: while NATO might have been forgiven in the past for not seeing the south as a priority, the current operating environment requires more than diplomatic gestures in statements and limited initiatives that linger, with inadequate resourcing, in the furthest reaches of NATO's orbit. From deployments to exercises to funding projects, outreach and communication programmes, NATO must act on the recognition that the south is a strategic priority if it is to avoid ending up with weakened collective deterrence, strained political relations and reduced room for manoeuvre at the same time as adversaries are increasing their efforts to exploit its weaknesses.
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