NATO military chiefs to discuss Afghanistan

Army chiefs of NATO and partner countries will gather at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 14-15 May to discuss the Alliance's operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Special Partnerships. General Knud Bartels, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, will chair the discussions, noted a NATO press release. The 169th NATO Chiefs of Defence meeting will begin on Tuesday with a review of NATO's current major operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Among key speakers, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, will update ISAF Chiefs of Defence on the wider regional context. The Military Committee will also discuss the planning of the new NATO post-2014 mission in Afghanistan. With NATO's special Partners - Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia - the Chiefs of Defence will review the progress of military-to-military cooperation, as well as exchanging views on issues of regional security. Wednesday's meetings will focus on NATO Transformation. The day will conclude with an overview of the new NATO Command Structure and updates on all other current NATO operations, it added.