Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee attends the 8th Balkan Countries CHODs Conference
Sarajevo – Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Schissler, Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee attended the 8th Balkan Countries CHODs Conference on Military Cooperation from 3-5 June 2014 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Lieutenant General discussed with the participating Chiefs of Defence and high ranking military officials ways of strengthening peace and security as well as military cooperation.
Since its creation in 2007, the Balkan CHODs Conference has been an important military regional forum where the promotion of cooperation, stability, and confidence amongst the Balkan countries has been paramount. This year’s conference, hosted by Major General Anto Jeleč, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, focused on new areas of possible cooperation, last year’s Regional Exercise and the recent floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, amongst other topics.
During the course of the two day conference, Lt Gen Schissler took the opportunity explain in more depth the specific areas that the Alliance was currently working on such as the ongoing change in the Security Environment, Afghanistan, and the Wales Summit in September. Concerning the situation in Ukraine, the Deputy Chairman stated that NATO looked forward to working with the new president of Ukraine and was committed to supporting reforms in Ukraine’s security and defence sector.
The Deputy Chairman also emphasized the benefits and need for continued military cooperation with Allied and Partner countries and the importance of Smart Defence and the Connected Forces Initiative. It is through these initiatives that Partner and Allied members can really acquire, develop and maintain their military capabilities and benefit from each other. "NATO thanks our Alliance members and Partners for their contributions to ISAF and other NATO missions. We have seen in the past that sharing burdens and responsibilities is a key to success when dealing with demanding tasks, so NATO will remain focused on cohesion within the Alliance, and close cooperation with Partners, “asserted Lt Gen Schissler.
Concluding the visit, Lt Gen Schissler expressed his support and appreciation of the work of the Balkan CHODs Countries Conference and its continued commitment to regional military cooperation, which is especially important in a time where the global security situation is becoming increasingly unpredictable, unstable and interconnected.