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Senior official for defence policy, planning and international affairs with Romania's Defence Ministry (MApN) Simona Cojocaru is taking part November 15-16 in a meeting in Brussels of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council (EAC) in a defence ministers format that is expected to host a first debate on the Strategic Compass, EU's future instrument for security and defence guidance.
"The meeting will start with a joint session with the EU foreign ministers on 15 November dedicated to the Strategic Compass. That will be an opportunity for a first debate on the Strategic Compass project, the future instrument of the European Union on security and defence policy that will guide the action of the member states for the next 5-10 years," according to a press statement released on Monday by MApN.
A meeting of the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board is scheduled for Tuesday. Defence ministers and officials will discuss options for strengthening the EDA's role in defence innovation and promoting opportunities for collaboration in future technologies at EU level.
"The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, will present developments in a number of important issues, such as Operation EUFOR Althea in the Western Balkans, the Coordinated Maritime Presences, Military Mobility and the current state of PESCO [Permanent Structured Cooperation. Talks will continue with a session dedicated to the European Union's military training missions. At the moment, such missions are ongoing in Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and, more recently, in Mozambique," the MApN release reads.
Part of the meeting will be a working lunch to be also attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg designed for an exchange of ideas on the drawing up of the Strategic Compass and the Strategic Concept of NATO.
According to MapN, ways to intensify EU - NATO co-operation, including in new areas, will also be discussed, given the potential for a new joint statement, Agerpres informs.
