NATO Officers lead interoperability course in Moscow

Russian military officers atthe General Staff Academy in Moscow are participating in a weeklongNATO-led conference focused on improving interoperability. The Chief ofStaff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, German ArmyGen. Rainer Schuwirth presented the opening lecture to 106 Russiangenerals and colonels who have been selected for the rank of general.

“NATO and Russia have moved from the 90’s focus on confidence buildingto the post Rome Summit focus of building a permanent and reliablestrategic partnership with Russia and NATO nations,” said Schuwirth.“We address shared threats, shared problems and together we producecommon solutions.”

He also spoke about NATO’sPartnership for Peace programme, which Russia joined in 1994. Schuwirthsaid that the strategic concepts of outreach and openness aim to“enhance security for all, exclude no one and help overcomedisagreements that could lead to instability.”

This isthe second time that NATO has sent personnel to Russia to presentlectures at the GSA. The first was in October 2004. Both events wereorganized and supported by Allied Command Transformation, through theGerman-based NATO School.

During the week,high-ranking NATO officers and civilians from NATO Headquarters andAllied Command Operations will speak on numerous topics ranging fromthe NATO Training Mission in Iraq to the NATO Response Force toOperation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean Sea, which is theanti-terrorism naval operation in which Russia plans to participate.

“In 12 months time, everyone here will be appointed to high postsacross Russia,” said Maj. Gen. Aleksander Ponomarenko, one of thestudents in his first year at the Academy. “Today these future leadersare attending a course on interoperability between Russia and NATO.We’ll probably not be able to resolve all the technical problems, butthe most important thing is for us to talk together and achieve amutual understanding.”