Chair of the NATO Military Committee attends the 18th Balkan Countries Chief of Defence Conference in Istanbul
The Chair of the NATO Military Committee (CMC), attended the 18th Balkan Countries CHODs Conference in İstanbul. Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone’s first appearance at this forum marks also his first visit to Türkiye.
The conference, hosted at the Multinational Joint Warfare Centre (MJWC) by the Chief of Turkish General Staff General Metin Gürak, included discussions on ways to strengthen peace, security, and military cooperation. It gathered the CHODs, high level authorities and senior military officials from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye, Croatia, and Slovenia. Participants were addressed by the Vice President of Türkiye, Cevdet Yılmaz.
In his intervention, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee emphasised the strategic importance of the Balkans and stated: “This region continues to be among NATO’s top priorities.” He also highlighted the benefits and need for continued military cooperation between Balkan countries, stressing that “dialogue on doctrine, tactics, and even procurement pathways can help avoid duplication and foster interoperability.”
This year’s conference focused on “The Vision for Use of Uncrewed Systems in the Future Operating Environment” and was an opportunity to exchange views on strengthening military cooperation as well as opportunities and challenges related to uncrewed systems. The program addressed the development of autonomous technologies, artificial intelligence-supported decision-making mechanisms, human-machine cooperation on the battlefield, and the technological, strategic, and ethical aspects of uncrewed systems.
Over the course of the conference Admiral Cavo Dragone also held several bilateral meetings to discuss current security challenges, preparations to NATO Summit and the upcoming Military Committee Conference.
Since its creation in 2007, the Balkan Countries CHODs Conference has been an important regional military forum where the promotion of cooperation, stability, and confidence among the Balkan countries has been paramount. It has confirmed the commitment of all members to provide timely and efficient responses to diverse security challenges and threats in the region.