Allied Chiefs of Defence – NATO remains a pillar of stability in an uncertain world

Ahead of the Conference, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, met with the President of Slovenia, Mr. Borat Pahor, and high-level political and military officials. Following a meeting at the Ministry of Defence, the Chairman took the opportunity to commend the efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Matjaž Bizjak, and presented him with the NATO Meritorious Service Medal for his outstanding contribution to NATO’s Liaison Office in Belgrade.

The Chiefs of Defence were welcomed at the National Gallery on Friday evening, an event hosted by the President of Slovenia, which officially started the Military Committee Conference.

During the Conference, the Allied Chiefs focused their attention on NATO’s operations, missions and activities, the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area, NATO’s Warfighting Concept and Military Instrument of Power.

As the Alliance is confronted with challenges from multiple directions, the Chiefs of Defence noted the necessity of ensuring the readiness and responsiveness of NATO’s forces, and the need to continue to have credible and effective deterrence and defence.

Throughout their discussions, the Chiefs of Defence stressed the continued commitment to NATO’s three core tasks – collective defence, crisis management and cooperative security.

In the joint press conference with Major General Alenka Ermenc, Chief of the Slovenian General Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach thanked Slovenia for their contributions to the Alliance. He also praised the professionalism of their soldiers deployed on NATO operations before providing an overview of the main outcomes of the Military Committee conference.

The Chairman stated, “With today’s security situation being one of most unpredictable in many years, the Alliance’s commitment to preventing conflict and preserving peace for nearly one billion people on both sides of the Atlantic remains constant”.