On May 20-23 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Jonas Vytautas Žukas attended meetings of the EU Military Committee and the NATO Military Committee in Brussels (Belgium).
On May 21 Chief of Defence of the European Union met at the headquarters of the Council of the European Union. Under the chairmanship of Chair of the Military Committee Gen Claudio Graziano, Chiefs of Defence discussed the NATO-EU cooperation, EU military operations in the Western Balkans, off the coasts of Somalia and Libya, training missions, the concept of the Single European Sky, development of military capabilities and military financial instruments of the community.
On May 22 the 181st NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session was held at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels ahead of the formal NATO Defence Ministers meeting June. It was opened by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who provided an overview of the political context and key strategic issues facing the Alliance. Later NATO Chiefs of Defence discussed the way ahead for the NATO Deterrence and Defence Posture and signed the military Strategy, a strategic Alliance's document it had taken a long time to prepare and agree to, while presided by Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William Peach. According to the Chairman, the signature marked an important step in adapting the Alliance for the increasingly complex security challenges that NATO faces.
"The strategy will guide Allied military decision making and provide NATO's Military Authorities with a definitive policy reference, enabling us to deliver our core mission - defending almost 1 billion people," Air Chief Marshal Sir S.W. Peach said.
The Committee also addressed enablement of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Area of Responsibility, current situation in Ukraine and prospects of cooperation with it, and discuss stability initiatives and defence capacity building in the Middle East and North Africa.
Lt Gen J.V.Žukas attended conferences of these formats in Lithuania's Chief of Defence capacity for the last time, therefore he gave farewell addresses at the end of them following the set practice.
"I am inspired to see the growing understanding among Allied Chiefs of Defence that we are living in turbulent and unpredictable times, with real adversaries and complex security challenges. I am certain that NATO is on the right track. I am convinced that you will do anything necessary to properly adapt the Alliance and have it fully ready to function in the environment of tomorrow and distant future. All we need is to stay united," Lt Gen J. V. Žukas said in one of the addresses.
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The European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is the top EU military institution comprised of the Chiefs of Defence of the European Union member states. The institution leads all the EU military activities - primarily planning and execution of military missions and operations and capability development in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy. The EUMC also provides military recommendations to the EU Policy and Security Committee responsible for shaping the Common Foreign and Security Policy. EU Chiefs of Defence attend EUMC meetings twice a year in Brussels.
The NATO Military Committee (NATO MC) is top level military command structure of NATO reporting to the North Atlantic Council, Defence Planning Committee and the Nuclear Planning Group. It takes strategic military decisions of the Alliance and shapes military advice to the North Atlantic Council which takes political-level decisions. The Committee is comprised of the Chiefs of Defence of NATO allies. Daily work at the NATO Military Committee is done by military representatives of NATO member states. It meets three times per year in NATO MC conferences, two of them is held in Brussels and one - in one of the member states on a rotational basis.
Photo credits: EU, NATO
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Mindaugas Neimontas
+370 5 278 5091, +370 682 25359, mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
