NATO Military Committee Conference - Vilnius, Lithuania (Media Advisory)
The Military Committee, NATO’s highest Military Authority, will meet in Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) Session from 19-21 September 2014, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Meeting will be hosted by the Lithuanian Chief of Defence, Major General Jonas Vytautas Žukas. This is the first CHODs meeting since the NATO Summit in Wales and the second time that the CHODs have met in Vilnius – the last time was in September 2004.
The meeting agenda will focus on regional security and its challenges, Operations, NATO's current mission in Afghanistan and future RESOLUTE SUPPORT mission. The CHODs will also discuss guidance and direction for the decisions taken by the Heads of State and Government at the recent NATO Summit in Wales with regard to the Readiness Action Plan and the Spearhead Force. Lastly, they will elect the next Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
The meeting will be chaired by General Knud Bartels, the current Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. He will be supported in each session by General Philip Breedlove (Supreme Allied Commander, Europe or SACEUR) and General Jean-Paul Paloméros (Supreme Allied Commander, Transformation or SACT). In addition, discussions will be stimulated by presentations from Major General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Chief of Defence of Lithuania; General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States of America; General Pierre de Villiers, Chief of Defence of France; Admiral Fernando García Sánchez, Chief of Defence of Spain; General Philip Breedlove (SACEUR); and, finally, by General John F. Campbell, Commander ISAF.
The Military Committee meets twice a year at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, at the level of Chiefs of Defence to discuss NATO operations and missions and provide the North Atlantic Council with consensus-based military advice on how the Alliance can best meet global security challenges, and once a year they meet in an Allied member country. On a day-to-day basis, their work is carried out by permanent Military Representatives at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
Media Opportunities
Friday 19 Sep 2014
18:00-18:20
Official Welcome Ceremony at Cathedral Square with Military Honours (only photo/video opportunities)
Saturday 20 Sep 2014
08:00-08:20
Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session (Radisson Blu Lietuva Hotel, only photo/video opportunities)
- Opening remarks by General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
- Opening remarks by the President of Lithuania, Mrs.Dalia Grybauskaitė.
17:40-18:10
Joint Press conference with General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and Major General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, Chief of Defence of Lithuania (Radisson Blu Lietuva Hotel, Zeta Conference Room)
18:10 – 18:30
Press Briefing by General Philip Breedlove, SACEUR (Radisson Blu Lietuva Hotel, Zeta Conference Room)
Imagery
Photos and video of all opening sessions will be available online at www.nato.int/ims
after each meeting. The joint press conference will not be live streamed but made available on the http://www.youtube.com/NATO and on the NATO IMS MC Conference event page.
Accreditation
Only accredited media will get press passes for the NATO Military Committee Conference in Lithuania. Requests for accreditation will be processed only electronically. The accreditation form must be sent by 17:00 pm on 18 September 2014. Forms delivered after this date may be refused.
The forms, photo (if possible) and required copies of the documents should be sent by the e-mail: vis@kam.lt. Please use the folowing title in the subject of your e-mail, "Accreditation NATO MCC 2014".
Media personnel participating in the conference must always have their passes visibly attached to them over the entire period of the conference. Security personnel will be allowed to check the identity of conference delegates and request additional ID documents to verify the identity of the media pass holders. We would like to inform the media personnel that security checks will be conducted separately prior to every media event. For this reason, media personnel are expected to come early enough for the events.
Enquiries
Point of Contact for Host Nation for Media accreditation MCC 2014:
Ms. Viktorija Cieminytė, Head of Press and Information Section, Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania
Tel: +370 5 278 5208; +370 5 273 5519; +370 698 11 340 ; +370 687 90765
E-mail: vis@kam.lt
1st Lieutenant Andrius Dilda, Public Affairs Officer, Lithuanian Air Force
Tel. +370 614 35 697
E-mail: Andrius.dilda@mil.lt
Points of contact for the Chairman of the Military Committee:
Captain (N), Dan B. Termansen, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee and NATO International Military Staff
Tel: + 32 475 75 75 61
E-Mail: termansen.dan.b@hq.nato.int
Elizabeth Steenson, Public Affairs Officer, NATO International Military Staff
Tel: + 32 475 75 75 23
E-Mail: steenson.elizabeth@hq.nato.int