ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – A NATO delegation, led by Allied Joint Force Command Naples, held an Expert Staff Meeting in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 28.
The delegation, led by Brigadier General Reinhard Kloss, JFC Naples J9 assistant chief of staff, was received by Brigadier General Hamdan Al Zeyoudi of the Emirati Armed Forces at their Joint Headquarters. The Expert Staff Meeting is a vital part of the annual military cooperation between NATO and UAE, as it ensures the military partnership is meeting the desires of the Emirati Armed Forces’ and in-line with NATO’s Military Committee Direction and Guidance.
General Al Zeyoudi, Director of National Affairs, and his team welcomed General Kloss and the rest of the NATO delegation, which included a representative from Air Command and Maritime Command for a friendly meeting discussing past and present partnership activities. Topics ranged from a review of 2018 partnership activities, UAE’s current operations, AIRCOM’s partnership capabilities, MARCOM operations and partnership capabilities, Regional Exercise lessons learned, and finally, coordination of NATO-UAE’s 2019 partnership activities.
Genenral Al Zeyoudi began the meeting by stating his pleasure of working with JFC Naples, "Our relationship has gone beyond agency to agency. It has now become personal.”
The NATO military partnership with UAE has been very close and has seen a steady growth over the last several years due to the effectiveness of both groups working together during the annual Expert Staff Meetings. General Kloss indicated how he believed that this strong partnership is due to many of the same members on both sides of the table remaining consistent. "It’s easier to come when we work with old friends”, he said. The meeting was successful with open and fruitful discussions resulting in a better understanding on what still needs to be done to continue the partnership growth trend between NATO and UAE.”
UAE is an active NATO partner country and was the first nation to become a member of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Framework since 2005. It currently participates in numerous NATO initiatives including various courses at NATO Centres of Excellences, NATO School Oberammergau, the NATO Defense College, Senior Executive NATO courses and other Key Leader Engagements. The Expert Staff Meeting is a vital part of the annual military cooperation between NATO and UAE, as it ensures the military partnership is meeting the needs of the Emirati Armed Forces’ and generates partnering activity that is in-line with NATO’s Military Committee’s Direction and Guidance. More broadly it also supports NATO’s broader aims to help build the trust and understanding that will lead to better cooperation in the region while increasing military interoperability for future NATO missions.
Story by JFC Naples Military Partnership Branch