NATO Military Chiefs of Defence Meeting - 18-19 January 2023
Media advisory
- English
- French
NATO’s highest Military Authority, the Military Committee, will meet in person on 18-19 January 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the Military Committee, will preside over the meeting, which will be attended by the Allied Chiefs of Defence and their counterparts from Invitees Finland and Sweden. They will be supported by General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and General Philippe Lavigne, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), who will each lead a session.
The meeting of the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session (MCCS) will enable the 32 Chiefs of Defence, to meet and discuss issues of strategic importance to the Alliance.
The Deputy Secretary General Mr. Mircea Geoana will join the Military Committee for the first session to provide the latest political objectives and to discuss security challenges facing the Alliance.
Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Lavigne, will lead the second session of the day. It will focus on early observations from the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the acceleration of the implementation of the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept and the Warfare Development Agenda. The Chiefs of Defence will discuss NATO’s military capacity and capability to defend the Alliance against all challenges, now and in the future. This will include a discussion on multi-domain operations, digital transformation and interoperability.
General Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, will lead the third session of the day. He will provide an update on the Alliance’s implementation of the Concept for the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area. This ‘deter and defence strategy’ provides a common framework for military activity in peace, crisis, and conflict. It closely interlinks national plans with NATO military plans and takes into account threats and challenges specific to particular regions, domains, and functional areas.
The fourth session will be on NATO Readiness and Sustainment of military forces, in particular risks and mitigations. This session will centre on capability development, military stockpiles and logistics.
The first session of the second day will see the Chiefs of Defence meet with their Kosovo Force (KFOR) operational partners – Armenia, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Moldova, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine. The discussions will concentrate on the situation on the ground, the security environment, and KFOR’s mission.
The Military Committee will then discuss NATO’s non-combat and capacity building Mission in Iraq with their operational partners Sweden, Finland and Australia. The Chiefs of Defence will discuss the Mission’s ongoing efforts to assist Iraq in promoting greater stability, building its security and defence institutions, and eradicating terrorism.
The final session will see the Military Committee discuss NATO’s ongoing support to Ukraine.
Media Opportunity
Wednesday 18 January 2023
11:00 Livestreamed opening remarks by Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, and Mr. Mircea Geoana, NATO Deputy Secretary General.
Thursday 19 January 2023
15:00 Press Conference with
- Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer.
- Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher Cavoli.
- Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Philippe Lavigne.
Media representatives holding a valid 2023 NATO Media pass will have access as usual to the NATO HQ. Media representatives wishing to attend the press conference are invited to contact the NATO IMS Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Office via email (ronaynecasimiro.lara@hq.nato.int) with a completed accreditation form no later than 12h00 on Tuesday 10 January 2023
Media passes will not be mailed to applicants; they must be collected in person upon presentation of an ID card or passport and a valid national press pass (or accreditation letter from a recognized media organization). Media representatives will be given their accreditation at the Guard House South, NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III, Brussels, Belgium.
Passes must be worn visibly at all times, and security personnel may ask to see another form of ID at any time. Media representatives are informed that security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects carried onto the site. They are also advised to arrive with sufficient lead-time to clear security checks.
The opening remarks delivered by the Chair of the Military Committee and the NATO Deputy Secretary General will be broadcasted live on the NATO website.
The press conference will be streamed live on the NATO website and the live feed will be provided to EBU.
Video footage will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event.
Imagery
Following each event, photos, video and audio files will be made available on the NATO IMS webpage www.nato.int/ims, as well as on the Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence session (MCCS) event page.
Social Media
We will post the latest information and photos from the MCCS on the following Twitter accounts: @NATO_PASCAD and @CMC_NATO.
Please use the hashtags #NATOCHoDs and #NATOMC when tweeting about the NATO Military Committee.
Media Enquiries:
Ms Eleonora Russell, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to the NATO Military Committee and the NATO International Military Staff.
Tel: + 32 471 61 09 55
E-Mail: russell.eleonora@hq.nato.int
Cdr Grzegorz Łyko, Deputy Public Affairs and Strategic Communications Advisor to the NATO Military Committee and the NATO International Military Staff.
Tel: + 32 477 57 07 46
E-Mail: lyko.grzegorz@hq.nato.int
For more background information about the NATO Military Committee