Conclusion of the Military Conference on NATO-Russia Council Cooperation Issues

On 29th November, the three-day Military Conference on NATO-Russia Council Cooperation Issues concluded at the NATO Defense College (NDC).

The Conference at the NDC was the second part of a Military-Academic Exchange organized under the aegis of the annual NATO-Russia Council Working Plan (NRC WG). During the first part, held in Moscow, the General Staff Military Academy (GSMA) of the Russian Federation hosted NATO officials and experts who discussed the Alliance’s perspective on a number of highly relevant topics: Smart Defence, NATO in Afghanistan and missile defence. At the NDC, the exchange continued with a series of high-level lectures by GSMA leaders on current Russian priorities which are also of great interest to NATO: the Russian definition of the concept of strategic stability; military and strategic appraisal of recent Russian armed forces military exercises; the structure and operational capabilities of aerospace defence; and the reform process of the Russian armed forces.

GSMA Commandant LtGen Andrei Vytalievich Tretiak (RUS-A) gave an extremely valuable presentation on the last of these topics, during the final day of the Conference. In a briefing entitled “Restructuring the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”, LtGen Tretiak illustrated the steps that are being taken by the Russian government in order to ensure that the country’s armed forces are fully attuned to the needs and challenges of modern warfare. The ensuing Q&A was greatly appreciated by all participants, as an excellent opportunity for detailed and frank discussion: it provided a focus on the challenges that lie ahead in the achievement of the planned goals, as well as on the priority which the Russian Federation gives to the education of a new generation of senior officers – and future leaders.

In their closing remarks, both GSMA Commandant Tretyak and NDC Commandant Arne Bård Dalhaug (NOR-A) highlighted the importance of high-level initiatives like this Conference as a means of enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation.

NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Eleonora Fuser, ITA C)