North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Transformation
June 10, 2015
Partnership – A Critical Enabler in a World of Change
NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT), led by Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) French Air Force General Jean-Paul Paloméros, held a three-day Strategic Military Partner Conference (SMPC) in Tbilisi, Georgia June 8-10, 2015.
SMPC is a core event within SACT’s Strategic Engagement Campaign and gives ACT a chance to exchange ideas regarding transformation with the Chiefs of Defence and subject matter experts from NATO and partner nations from around the globe.
First held in 2005, this year’s conference attracted more than 250 military representatives from 48 countries from NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP), Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), and Partners across the Globe (PatG) programmes.
In addition to Alliance members and Partners, the North Atlantic Council approved representatives from Brazil to participate in the discussions as well as representatives from the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
During his keynote address, SACT thanked Georgia’s cooperation for hosting this year’s SMPC and spoke highly of their partnership with NATO.
“They are achieving new levels of success every day and that’s how it should be,” said SACT. “Partnership is not sequential, it’s a continuous effort.”
General Paloméros went on to talk about strengthening partnerships throughout NATO.
“I know that solidarity is at the core of your nation and is engrained in Georgia’s motto ‘Dzala Ertobashia’ which means ‘Strength in Unity’. I find it very inspiring and it represents perfectly the purpose of our gathering today,” he said. “Reaching out to NATO’s numerous and diverse partners who’ve shown up here, fully committed, to cooperate together in order to build and maintain security and stability throughout the world.”
Mrs. Tinatin Khidasheli, the Georgian Minister of Defence, gave a speech at the plenary session of the conference and remarked on the importance of Georgia’s future with NATO.
“It is of the utmost importance for Georgia to host events like this and to feel partnership like this and to feel like a part of the unity of nations who are working together for peace and security in the world,” said the Minister.
Mrs. Khidasheli continued to speak about her pride in Georgia’s resolve.
“When faced with security challenges, I’m proud that Georgia represents one of the most interoperable, reliable and devoted partners of NATO,” she said. “I’m proud that difficulties have only made us stronger and more determined to advance the transformation process, develop capabilities, focus on education and training and further enhance NATO interoperability.”
The conference contained panel and separate syndicate discussions on Innovation as an Enabler for Partnerships, The Connected Forces Initiative and Partnership Interoperability Initiative: Guiding Training and Education, Using Defence and Related Security Capacity Building to Bolster Regional Security and Partnership Toward the Warsaw Summit and Beyond.
After the conference, perspectives will be organised into the SMPC Analysis Report, and feed the ACT transformational development process. The report will be forwarded to all relevant NATO authorities, including the Secretary General and the NATO International and Military Staffs, as well as all conference participants.
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