NATO MEMBER AND PARTNER CHIEFS OF DEFENCE 
CONCLUDE MEETINGS
 
BRUSSELS -- Chiefs of defence from the 26 
NATO member nations today wrapped up two days of intensive discussions at NATO 
Headquarters on a wide range of military-related issues. Chiefs of defence 
and/or senior officers from 30 partner nations also attended the final day of 
meetings, in Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue, NATO-Ukraine, and 
NATO-Russia formats. 
 
            
“We made progress on a number of key issues on the 
Alliance’s military agenda,” said Gen. Ray 
Henault, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, and NATO’s top officer. “We 
reviewed all our ongoing operations, particularly in Afghanistan, and discussed 
ways and means to continue work to transform our processes, organization and 
work as needed to meet today’s requirements and tomorrow’s challenges. 
 
            
The NATO chiefs of defence also assessed progress on Kosovo and the 
Balkans, the training mission in Iraq, naval counter terrorism operations 
in the Mediterranean, and support to the African Union 
mission in Darfur.
 
            
“We took stock of the situation in 
Afghanistan, which is this organization’s 
number one operational priority,” said Henault. “We remain committed to 
providing security to allow the extension of Aghan government authority across 
the country, and to allow sustainable reconstruction and development efforts to 
take hold. We also confirmed our support to continue development of 
military-to-military relations with Afghanistan’s neighbours, particularly with 
Pakistan – which have shown marked 
improvement recently – through the vehicle of the Tripartite Commission and 
other means.”
 
            
“Real challenges remain for the foreseeable future, but we have good 
reason for optimism at the overall progress country-wide of military related 
aspects of the Afghanistan mission, including the development 
of the Afghan National Army,” continued Henault. “NATO has 37,000 well-trained, 
well-equipped and well-led men and women operating throughout the country, and 
that figure continues to grow. In the south in particular, we have seized the 
initiative, consolidated gains from last year’s operations and activities, and 
have strong momentum from this spring heading into summer. That said, we remain 
concerned about progress to develop the Afghan National Police, as that is such 
an important element of day-to-day local and regional security. We agreed to 
look at some ways and means to enhance military support and thereby help build 
more capability in this national institution.” 
 
            
“The Military Committee agreed that resourcing the training and liaison 
teams for the Afghan National Army is a key priority. These units, which provide 
a much needed mentoring and support function, are a top NATO military priority 
that need to be fielded if we are to further help develop the structures 
necessary to allow Afghans to eventually provide for their own security,” said 
Henault.
 
            
Chiefs of defence were also informed of the current situation in Kosovo, 
then assessed and guided the development of the NATO military plan through to 
the post-transition period. This work is being done in close cooperation with 
counterparts in the European Union.
 
            
Operational support issues were also on the agenda, and the meetings 
continued the work stemming from political decisions at 
Riga and the recent meeting of NATO 
foreign affairs ministers in Oslo. The Military Committee discussed 
ways to further develop policy to improve the manner and way the Alliance plans, 
conducts and coordinates operations in practical, on-the-ground terms at all 
levels with partners, the UN, non-governmental organizations, and local actors 
in all phases of a conflict. 
 
            
Military chiefs also discussed ways to improve long-term implementation 
of the NATO Response Force, and the status of the comprehensive review of the 
NATO command structure.
 
            
“Financial resources and the establishment review of NATO’s command 
structure are two key, interlinked activities that will increasingly focus the 
work of the Military Committee,” said Henault.
 
            
“NATO is doing more than ever before, with more partners, further afield, 
and in  complex environments. In 
Afghanistan, this involves work to facilitate 
reconstruction, help build capacity in Afghan security forces, and when 
required, conduct combat operations. Zero-growth or limited growth in military 
budgeting in the face of doing more, means we need to take stock of our 
priorities to ensure our money is efficiently and effectively spent on those 
operational aspects that nations assign most value to. At the same time, the 
Military Committee will continue to assess how the current NATO military 
headquarters and command structures need to be adjusted in order to conduct 
future operations and missions in accordance with the new level of ambition 
established by Ministerial Guidance 2006.”
 
            
“We had  particularly 
informative sessions with our partners,” continued Henault. “Partners provide 
significant military capability to all our operations. We were particularly 
pleased to receive briefings from Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia, two aspirant nations; the Republic of Serbia, one of the newest 
Partnership for Peace members; and Switzerland.”
 
            
Discussions with Mediterranean Dialogue nations focused on operations, 
including NATO’s only Article 5 defence-of-the-Alliance mission, Operation 
Active Endeavour, being conducted in the Mediterranean Sea.
 
            
The Ukranian chief of defence and his NATO counterparts discussed 
improvements in the operational capabilities of the armed forces of 
Ukraine, and assessed the NATO-Ukraine work 
plan.
 
            
“I had a useful and warm bilateral discussion with Gen. Baluyevskyi ahead 
of the final session of the day,” said Henault. “And, during the NATO-Russia 
Council meeting with all chiefs of defence, we exchanged views on our 
cooperation efforts, and reviewed progress on the NATO-Russia work plan for 
2007.”
 
            
”The NATO-Russia Council with military chiefs of defence has been a 
productive forum for almost five years now for consultation with 27 equal 
partners,” said Henault.  “Our 
discussion today focused on the ways and means to continue building on our 
mutually beneficial, practical military-to-military cooperation activities to 
develop interoperability. Last summer, for example, Russia began supporting 
NATO’s anti-terrorism mission [in the Mediterranean], which is but one example 
of how much our military-to-military relationship has 
evolved.”
 
            
“In the course of the meeting, Gen. Baluyevskyi explained and clarified 
the Russian position on a number of matters, including missile defence and on 
the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was useful. In response, Allies 
re-stated the NATO positions, including our collective commitment to the CFE 
Treaty as a cornerstone of European security. We welcomed the opportunity to 
continue to discuss issues of common interest with a view to better appreciating 
our respective positions. It was an open and mature 
dialogue.”
 
            
The meetings of the NATO Military Committee at the level of Chiefs of 
Defence Staff take place three times a year, including twice in 
Brussels. Once a year, the meeting is 
convened in a member country: in the fall of 2007, this will be in 
Canada.
 
            
 Gen. Henault confirmed to 
the Military Committee that he would retire next summer after a 40-year career, 
and on conclusion of a mandated three-year tenure as NATO’s senior military 
officer. The next Chairman will be elected by the NATO chiefs of defence at the 
November 2007 meeting in Brussels.