Central Europe defense conference aligns Allies, strengthens relationships

The event drew senior military leaders from Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Moldova and Türkiye.



By U.S. European Command Public Affairs United States European Command Stuttgart, Germany Jun 11, 2024
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U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, co-hosted the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense Conference alongside Croatian Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid, chief of the Croatian Armed Forces General Staff, in Split, Croatia, June 10-11, 2024.

The event drew senior military leaders from Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. This year’s iteration was also attended by delegations from both Moldova and Türkiye to further discuss regional security and strengthen partnerships.

“Venues like this one provide a forum to share ideas and to continue our strategic dialogue which is always aimed toward a free and prosperous Europe,” said Cavoli. “We have begun the wholesale reorganization of our Alliance to bring it from focusing on out-of-area operations…to focus on collective territorial defense. This important transition will secure the nations of our Alliance now and into the future.”

During the conference leaders discussed collective efforts toward enhancing cyber and space security and enabling the rapid deployment of forces to respond to crisis via military mobility agreements and prepositioned stocks.

“The emphasis of our conference is strengthening our readiness and the readiness of our Allies to successfully face the security threats and challenges of our time,” said Kundid. “The most efficient way to successfully deter and defend is to act together, and discussions today facilitate the preparations and capabilities required for successful deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area.”

The conference was also attended by representatives of the U.S. National Guard Bureau under the auspices of the State Partnership Program, which aligns National Guard organizations with partner nations to hone their ability to operate as one to address security challenges.

Prior to the conference, Gen. Cavoli met with Croatian President Zoran Milanović, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Defense Minister Ivan Anušić to further the nations’ enduring partnership and comprehensive approach to security cooperation.

Regularly hosted by Allies throughout Europe, Chiefs of Defense conferences are a key component of USEUCOM’s comprehensive approach to regional security. Through continuous engagement, USEUCOM and its Allies foster enduring partnerships and strengthen cooperation among Allied and partner nations.

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