Defence ministers discuss enhanced resilience, Afghanistan, EU missions and operations, and cooperation with NATO and the UN
Defence ministers discuss enhanced resilience, Afghanistan, EU i missions and operations, and cooperation with NATO i and the UN
As part of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU, an informal meeting of EU defence ministers will be held at Brdo Congress Center on Thursday, 2 September. The meeting will focus on the Strategic Compass, situation in Afghanistan, EU missions and operations, and cooperation with NATO and the UN.
Before the meeting, Minister of Defence Matej Tonin, MSc said: “One of the main security- and defence-related tasks is the development of the Strategic Compass. Together with the High Representative Josep Borrell i, ministers will discuss the last of the four Strategic Compass baskets - Resilience. We will focus on countering hybrid threats, external interference and manipulation.”
Matej Tonin, Minister of Defence
Strategic Compass is a document whose development continues during the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. It includes four areas (the so-called baskets), namely crisis management, partnerships, capability development and resilience enhancement. At this meeting, ministers will discuss the resilience basket and talk about a set of tools to address hybrid threats and ways to provide access to global strategic domains (cyberspace, maritime dimension, space).
Although the Strategic Compass is the main topic of the meeting, ministers will begin with a panel on EU missions and operations, where they will discuss current developments in Afghanistan. They will also devote attention to the events in the field of EU missions and operations, especially those in the Sahel, Libya, Mozambique and the Western Balkans, which top the agenda of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.
The meeting will close with a working lunch to discuss the common geostrategic challenges and opportunities for further cooperation within NATO and the UN. NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoanã and UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix have been invited to join the discussion. In this respect, Minister Matej Tonin, MSc, emphasized the following: »All three organizations face the same global challenges, so it is important that common themes, such as climate change, emerging and disruptive technologies, and women, peace and security, are addressed in a unified way. Especially in the light of the recent developments in Afghanistan, we need to work together effectively, in a coordinated manner, while respecting the individual particularities of each organization.«
Press contacts
Colonel Marjan Sirk
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence