166th NATO Chiefs of Defence meeting begins today

January 18, 2012 defpro.com

Brussels | The first meeting of NATO’s Military Committee (MC) in Chiefs of Defence Staff (CHODs) session under the chairmanship of Gen. Knud Bartels (CMC) will take place on 18th and 19th January 2012. Top level military representatives of 67 countries will discuss in various formats the evolution of NATO and NATO led operations, the implementation of the new NATO Command Structure and its military consequences.

Together with NATO’s two Strategic Commanders Adm. Jim Stavridis (SACEUR) and Gen. Stéphane Abrial (SACT), 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. John R. Allen (COMISAF) and Amb. Simon Gass (NATO Senior Civilian Representative) will update CHODs on the key issues. For the Kosovo session the Military Committee invited Maj. Gen. Erhard Drews (COMKFOR) and Mr. Xavier Bout de Marnhac (Head of EULEX).

The Mediterranean Dialogue Partners and Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council members will exchange views on how to deepen and further military to military cooperation among NATO and its partners, in line with NATO’s new Partnership approach and its aims as described in the NATO Strategic Concept.

The MC will also meet in NATO-Russia Council (NRC) format to discuss the NRC-MR Workplan 2012 and how practical cooperation between the Russian Federation and NATO can evolve over the coming years.

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