NATO’s highest military authority, the Military Committee, will convene in Brussels on 15 and 16 January 2025. The meeting will bring together Allied Chiefs of Defence alongside over 20 counterparts from NATO Partner nations.

The event will be presided over by Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the Military Committee, and supported by General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT).

The discussions will focus on the key strategic priorities of the Alliance, with particular emphasis on strengthening cooperation with NATO Partners and addressing global challenges through unified responses. “This meeting will reaffirm NATO’s commitment to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond,” said Admiral Bauer in anticipation of the event.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will join the Military Committee for the opening session to outline the Alliance’s current priorities and the most pressing challenges it faces.

The first session of the meeting will see General Cavoli brief the Chiefs of Defence on NATO’s readiness to deter and defend the Euro-Atlantic region, safeguarding the security of over one billion people. He will also provide updates on NATO’s ongoing missions, particularly the support being extended to Ukraine through the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).

NATO security assistance team for Ukraine begins work

During the second session, Admiral Vandier will lead discussions on NATO’s concept of “Interoperability by Design,” which aims to streamline the collaboration between NATO members and Partners to enhance military operations.

Updates will also be provided on various ongoing processes, including the NATO Defence Planning Process, the status of the Joint Analysis Training and Education Centre (JATEC), and the implementation roadmap to establish a multi-domain-enabled Alliance by 2030.

In the third and fourth sessions, the Chiefs of Defence will turn their attention to the various manifestations of global instability. These sessions will involve discussions with NATO Partner nations about military cooperation, standardization, and interoperability.

The second day will feature thematic sessions on the Global South and the Indo-Pacific regions. These discussions will offer briefings on the strategic security challenges in these areas, exploring their implications for global stability and security.

The meeting will conclude with a joint press conference featuring Admiral Bauer, General Cavoli, and Admiral Vandier, summarising the outcomes of the discussions and outlining NATO’s path forward in addressing current and future security challenges.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

10 COMMENTS

  1. NATO meets to discuss preparations to defend Alliance? Really? What have they been doing then since April 4th, 1949 then?

    • Well the UK is NOT a member of the EU and is a member of NATO, but if it wished it could both be a member of NATO and the EU because shock horror the vast majority of NATO members are also EU members ( 23 out of 32) and almost all EU members are also NATO members ( 23 out or 27)…and for 47 year the UK was both a member of the EU ( or it’s precursor) and a NATO member..

      So your statement is utterly factually incorrect.

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