On 14 January 2026, the Director General of the International Military Staff (DGIMS) LGEN Remigijus Baltrėnas visited the NATO Defense College (NDC) to meet with Commandant LGEN Max A.L.T. Nielsen and the Dean, Dr Suzanne Nielsen. During the visit, discussions centered on the College’s organization and how its strategic-level education and research contribute to the cohesion and effectiveness of the Alliance.
In addition to the NDC briefing, LGEN Baltrėnas engaged with the Committees of Senior Course 147 during an introduction to the Negotiation, Mediation and Decision–Making Exercise (NMDX). Colonel John O. Birkeland, Head of the NDC Curriculum Planning Branch, explained how the NMDX consolidates the Course Members’ practical understanding of multinational consensus-building, negotiation, and mediation within the framework of the NATO Response System. The exercise exposes participants to the complexities of international crisis management and multilateral politico-military decision-making at the NATO Senior Committee and Ambassadorial level, while also deepening their understanding of NATO’s role in Non-Article V Crisis Response Operations, and the Alliance’s functioning in crisis situations.
The focus on consensus-building and collaborative decision-making in exercises like the NMDX reflects the same principles that guide NATO’s operational structures. The International Military Staff enables the National Military Representatives to address military issues rapidly and effectively, ensuring that the Military Committee provides the North Atlantic Council with consensus-based advice on all military aspects of policy, operations, and transformation within the Alliance.
Since 14 July 2025, LGEN Remigijus Baltrėnas has served as Director General of the International Military Staff, a key NATO position. The DGIMS is responsible for the coordination between the decision-making bodies of the Alliance, the two Strategic Commanders, national military personnel from NATO and partner countries working in Brussels, and the civilian International Staff that support the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council. Leveraging this coordination, the International Military Staff provides the best possible policy advice to the Military Committee.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Britt Melinga, NLD C)
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN