NAPLES, Italy – A NATO delegation, led by Allied Joint Force Command Naples ACOS J9, received a delegation from the Emirati Armed Forces at JFC Naples on January 19, 2017. The meeting was in the framework of an annual military cooperation Expert Staff Meeting. The aim was to showcase the various partnership opportunities available, discuss past and present military cooperation activities and to prepare future activities in accordance with Emirati Armed Forces’ requests and in-line with NATO’s Military Committee Direction and Guidance.
Brigadier General Reinhard Kloss, Assistant Chief of Staff J9 Division, welcomed Deputy Commander, G.H.Q. Joint Operations Command, Brigadier General Hamdan Al Zeyoudi and his team. Multiple military representatives from numerous JFC Naples branches provided presentations on cooperation program activities and exercises available to the Emirates. Additionally, Brigadier General Zeyoudi had office calls with Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Luciano Portolano, and Deputy Chief of Staff - Plans, Major General Ian Cave. These office calls gave senior JFC Naples leadership the opportunity to reiterate the importance of the partnership between United Arab Emirates and NATO.
While this was the first visit by UAE to JFC Naples, many of the faces around the table have been at many of the last meetings. Gen Kloss highlighted the importance to having the same individuals by saying "Our cooperation becomes closer, especially when we deal and meet with friends.” Throughout the day, open and fruitful discussions were conducted and the results will help ensure that the United Arab Emirates are correctly supported by JFC Naples in those areas where they wish to cooperate militarily with NATO. In the end, Gen Al Zeyoudi lauded JFC Naples hospitality and was "delighted to spend the day to discuss these topics.”
United Arab Emirates is an active NATO partner country, and has been a member of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Framework since 2005. In 2016, the Emirates welcomed the first NATO Mobile Training Teams which were executed by JFC Naples. It currently participates in numerous NATO initiatives including multiple NATO exercise, the NATO Defense College, Senior Executive NATO courses and other Key Leader Engagements
Story by JFCNP J9 Division