General Pavel elected as next Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
Chiefs of Defence of the 28 NATO nations elected General Petr Pavel, Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, as the next Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. His term of office, normally three years, is expected to begin in June 2015, when he will succeed the current Chairman, General Knud Bartels.
The Chairman of the Military Committee represents the consensus-based views of all NATO Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) as the principal military adviser to the Secretary General, the North Atlantic Council and other senior NATO bodies. In his capacity, he guides the Military Committee’s agenda and deliberations, listening to views and working to reconcile divergent national positions or policy differences to fashion advice that all can agree to.
“I am not only grateful to the Chiefs of Defence who voted for me but also this reflects the good reputation Czech soldiers have gained after fifteen years of working in NATO,” General Pavel stated after the election. Congratulating him on his future role, General Bartels, current Chairman of the NATO’s Military Committee said: “I wish all the best to my successor and I’m confident that with his experience and familiarity with NATO affairs and processes he will do a fantastic job to keep the Military Committee strong and on top of all the issues.”
The position of Chairman of the Military Committee, made a position in 1963, has been held by 17 officers from: Germany (five times), the United Kingdom (three times), Canada (twice), Norway (twice), Italy (twice), Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark (once).