North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
January 14, 2015
General Breedlove visits political and military leaders in Poland
SZCZECIN, Poland: Gen. Phil Breedlove, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, visited Szczecin and Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday, 13 January 2015, to meet with senior political and military leaders from across the government and the Multinational Corps – Northeast (MNC-NE).
During the visit, they discussed the modernization of the Polish military and raising the readiness and capabilities of the MNC-NE in order to enhance its role as a hub for regional cooperation.
In the morning, Breedlove met with representatives from Denmark, Germany, and Poland – the three MNC-NE framework nations responsible for future training and development of the organization.
“I’m very pleased with how effectively the nations are working together to transition this headquarters to a high readiness force able to support NATO’s Readiness Action Plan,” said Breedlove. “The Corps continues to enhance its readiness and capabilities so that it can exercise command and control across the full range of NATO missions.”
The MNC-NE concept was initiated in July 1997 by the German, Danish and Polish Ministers of Defense and officially established Sept. 18, 1999 with the headquarters located at Baltic Barracks, Szczecin, Poland. Eleven other nations have since joined MNC-NE with several more projected to join in the next few years.
Breedlove, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Mr. Tomasz Siemoniak, and Chief of Defense, Lt. Gen. Mieczysław Gocuł met in Warsaw in the afternoon to discuss the role of the MNC-NE and held discussions on sustaining and expanding the momentum in bilateral cooperation.
Breedlove conveyed that Poland is a strong ally and a close friend that contributes considerably to the Alliance’s shared security. All involved reiterated their commitment to an enduring partnership and reaffirmed the importance of the MNC-NE.
Story by SHAPE Public Affairs Office
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