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Annual Military Partnerships Directorate Workshop held in Skopje
Major General Odd Egil Pedersen, Deputy Chief of Staff Military Partnerships Directorate (left) addresses the annual Military Partnerships Directorate Workshop in Skopje held Apr. 22 - 26, 2018. North Macedonia Minister of Defence, Radmila Sekerinska (right). - Photo by North Macedonia Ministry of Defence
SKOPJE, North Macedonia – The annual Military Partnerships Directorate Workshop in Skopje attracted representatives from 61 countries from Apr. 22 to 26, 2018 with the main focus on strengthening partnership capability.
"The importance and significance of developing partnerships and ensuring mutual understanding cannot be under estimated. These are force multipliers reinforcing peace and security, which is in all our national interests," said Major General Odd Egil Pedersen, Deputy Chief of Staff Military Partnerships Directorate. "I am immensely proud of what we achieved and the feedback from the participants has been most encouraging. My team and I will be able to develop many initiatives based upon these very positive discussions."
The Military Partnerships Directorate in SHAPE has a vital role for NATO in collaboration with Partners within the current global security situation. NATO pursues regional stability through engagement and dialogue with the 41 Partner Nations through a variety of programmes and initiatives.
"Host nation support for this workshop has been very gracious with the facilities and administration proving very effective. We have also been lucky enough to have the North Macedonia Minister of Defence and the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe visit us," said Commander Santo Vella, Project Officer. "The facilities have allowed us to concentrate on our core business where many national representatives have been briefed on our Partnership activity."
Alongside standing core functions of Education, Training, Exercise and Evaluation support to Partners, the Directorate continues to adapt its organisation to better support Partners through NATO Command Structure Adaptation (NCS-A) efforts.
Story by SHAPE Public Affairs Office