NATO Military Committee meets in Chiefs of Defence Staff (CHODs) session in Brussels on 26 and 27 January. The Hungarian military delegation is led by General Tibor Benkő, Chief of Defence Staff.

This is the first official meeting of the Military Committee following the Lisbon Summit held last year. The meeting provides an opportunity to NATO CHODs to conduct talks with military leaders of Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, The Mediterranean Dialogue Partners, as well as Russia and Ukraine. In addition to the NATO Chiefs of Defence the CHODS from Non-NATO Troop Contributing Nations to KFOR are also present.

During the meeting special attention is paid to the new prospects in regional cooperation and the military implementation of ‘open door policy’. Future prospects of Afghanistan ISAF operations are also discussed. The Mediterranean Dialogue Partners and Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council members exchange views on the practical consequences of NATO’s new Partnership approach and the new Strategic Concept. The latter paves the way for the Alliance to modernise its ability to carry out its core mission of collective defence, while continuing to promote international stability.

During the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council General Tibor Benkő is expected to make specific proposals about the contribution of HDF to development of military cooperation between the Alliance and Russia.