CHIEF OF DEFENCE OF LITHUANIA WILL ATTEND MEETING OF NATO AND EU MILITARY COMMITTEES
From April 24 to 26 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen Arvydas Pocius will participate in the meeting of the Military Committee of the European Union Committee (EUMC) and NATO Military Committee (NATO-MC) in Brussels (Belgium).
In the April 26 session of EUMC will address strategic defence priorities of the EU, considerable attention will be paid to the possibilities of Capability Pooling and Sharing among member states, as well as the perspective as conflict prevention development. Chief of Defence of the EU countries will discuss military operations conducted by the European Union in the Western Balkans and Africa. During the meeting the new chairman of the EU Military Staff will be elected.
In the following two days of NATO-MC session Chiefs of Defence of NATO countries and partner states will meet with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and discuss NATO’s future priorities and challenges. NATO’s strategic plan in Afghanistan is expected to be addressed with NATO International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) partners as well as to meet with military and civilian leadership of the operation. NATO Chiefs of Defence will also discuss other military operations of the Alliance in Afghanistan and Kosovo, counter-piracy and counter-terrorist operations, and discuss experience from the NATO’s operation in Libya.
Points, proposals and guidelines touched upon during the two days of discussions will be rendered to the North Atlantic Council and then used for the NATO Summit in Chicago due on May 20–21.
EUMC is the highest military institution of the European Union including Chiefs of Defence of the EU countries. The Committee has been conducting its activities since 2001, it is in charge of directing actions of the EU countries, renders advise to the EU Political and Security Committee, shapes the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy.
NATO Military Committee is the highest NATO’s command structure subordinate to the North Atlantic Council, Defence Planning Committee and Nuclear Planning Group. The agency adopts military strategic decisions and shapes military advice to the North Atlantic Council which then makes corresponding political decisions. The day-to-day work at the Military Committee is done during sessions of military representatives delegated by participating countries.