NATO added, "DJF HQ serves as an example of a Joint HQ for non-NATO nations to contribute to the Alliance's missions."
"Many of the attending nations already share close ties with NATO and have taken part in NATO's missions, including the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan."
Participating officers were from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Finland, Georgia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Qatar, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.
At the gathering of military chiefs on April 25 and 26, subjects addressed were NATO's wars and occupations in three continents: In addition to the ten-and-a-half-year conflict in Afghanistan, NATO's top brass discussed missions in Kosovo (Kosovo Force), off the Horn of Africa (Operation Ocean Shield), in Libya (Operation Unified Protector), the Mediterranean Sea (Operation Active Endeavor) and no doubt others. Most everywhere, indeed, but on or near the Atlantic Ocean, north or south.
Reporting on the conference, the Pentagon's website paraphrased an unnamed senior Defense Department official, "speaking on background," as affirming that "Every opportunity for NATO members and their partners to work together helps to keep the alliance moving forward...especially as they seek to improve interoperability [and] refine tactics and procedures..."
Quoted directly, the source added:
"NATO remains a very strong partnership - as strong as ever - and we have a lot of demonstrated successes with NATO if you look at the history up through today and current events, and especially in the last year. So I think that bodes well for the future of the partnership. The United States involvement in NATO is a strong partnership for tackling any future challenges."
The Pentagon account also mentioned meetings between the assembled military chiefs and representatives of Georgia and Ukraine, within the NATO-Georgia Commission and NATO-Ukraine Commission frameworks, and of the NATO-Russia Council.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
1
1
