The President of OVIA, Ambassador António Martins da Cruz, was a guest speaker at the conference “Advanced Diplomacy for Peace, Security and Defence,” organized by the National Defense Institute (IDN) in Lisbon, on November 3.
In his address, entitled “Great Powers Diplomacy and Strategic Rivalry,” Ambassador Martins da Cruz offered an in-depth analysis of current international dynamics, marked by the growing rivalry among the great powers, the United States, China, and Russia, and the resulting geostrategic impacts on Europe and the wider world.
Emphasizing that rivalry between great powers “is not merely a current situation but a normal condition of history,” the President of OVIA argued that the defense of national interests must remain at the core of every country’s foreign policy, recalling the classic lessons of Lord Palmerston and Henry Kissinger on the role of statesmanship in defining national interest.
Among the themes addressed, he highlighted the analysis of the new challenges to international stability, including the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the growing influence of China and Russia in Africa and Latin America, and the role of Europe in a rapidly changing global environment.
The Ambassador also identified four main trends shaping the current international system:
- The strategic rapprochement between Russia and China;
- The redefinition of the United States’ position towards Europe and Asia;
- The loss of stability and political weight of Europe;
- And the lack of an exit strategy for the war in Ukraine, which he described as “fundamentally a European problem.”
In the final part of his address, Ambassador Martins da Cruz warned of the “decline of Europe’s influence in a world where new regional powers and the so-called Global South are asserting non-aligned foreign policies,” stressing the need to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy without undermining transatlantic ties or NATO’s role.
Referring to Mario Draghi’s recent reflection on Europe’s role as a “spectator” on the international stage, the President of OVIA concluded with a call to action:
“We must turn skepticism into action. Our reflections and decisions must translate into concrete measures so that Europe can once again become a relevant global actor.”
The conference at the IDN brought together national and international experts in the fields of diplomacy, defense, and security, reinforcing the debate on the strategic challenges that define the beginning of this new decade and highlighting Ambassador António Martins da Cruz as one of the most experienced and respected voices in Portuguese diplomacy.
