Wednesday, January 26, 2011

NATO Military Committee meets in follow-up of Lisbon Summit


The first meeting of NATO’s Military Committee (MC) in Chiefs of Defence Staff (CHODs) session after the Lisbon Summit will take place on 26-27 January 2011. Under the chairmanship of Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola (CMC), top level military representatives of 66 countries will discuss in various formats the implementation of the New Strategic Concept, its military consequences and the evolution of NATO and NATO led operations.

Together with NATO’s two Strategic Commanders Adm. Jim Stavridis (SACEUR) and Gen. Stéphane Abrial (SAC-T), CHODs will debate the situation in Afghanistan and Kosovo and other NATO operations. Regarding Afghanistan, focus will be on Transition /Inteqal and the longer-term perspective for the country. Gen. David Petraeus (COMISAF) and Amb. Mark Sedwill (NATO Senior Civilian Representative) will update CHODs on the key issues. For the Kosovo session the Military Committee invited Maj. Gen. Erhard Bühler (COMKFOR) and Mr. Xavier Bout de Marnhac (Head of EULEX).

The Mediterranean Dialogue Partners and Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council members will exchange views on the practical consequences of NATO’s new Partnership approach and its aims as described in the new Strategic Concept. The MC will also meet in NATO-Ukraine Commission format to take stock of the on-going transformation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

Mindful of the Lisbon Spirit, during the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council Military Representatives (NRC-MR) special attention will be paid to the NRC Military Workplan 2011 and how to further broaden and deepen the ways of practical cooperation between the Russian Federation and NATO. 

More information on the NATO Military Committee can be found on: www.nato.int/ims

(NATO)