KYIV, Ukraine - A delegation from SHAPE's Partnerships Directorate, led by Rear Admiral Bülent Turan, Deputy Chief of Staff Partnerships Directorate, visited several military training establishments in Ukraine, from Nov. 07 to 11, 2021 to brief and discuss numerous aspects of NATO-Ukraine co-operation.
"NATO days in Ukraine is extremely important. It is one of the capstone outreach events conducted by SHAPE Partnerships Directorate. It allows us to not only inform and motivate future leaders of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) about our distinctive partnership, but also engage with them on a plethora of dynamic and important topics," said Rear Admiral Bülent Turan, Deputy Chief of Staff Partnerships Directorate. "I am very happy to be back after COVID-19 restrictions required us to conduct the event virtually last year. Even with all the obstacles that COVID-19 created in terms of executing military cooperation activities, we have been able to continue to make our already distinctive partnership even stronger."
I really want to emphasise the importance of this 15th iteration of NATO Days in Ukraine. This is because NATO and Ukraine's Distinctive Partnership is so important
The NATO team visited several Ukrainian Armed Forces Institutes in Kiev and Zhytomyr providing presentations and briefings to various audiences. The purpose of the visit was to provide an in-depth understanding of the importance of the NATO-Ukraine military cooperation as well as the Cyberspace Domain, the Comprehensive Assistance Package and NATO operations.
Also, it is the first time in NATO Days event that the SHAPE Gender Advisor was part of the delegation as a briefer focusing on the different aspects of gender integration in NATO. Another area of strong development was the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) education programme. During this visit, Warrant Officer Class 1 Steven Catherwood, SHAPE Partnerships Command Senior Enlisted Leader, delivered multiple presentations advising future officers on the relationship with their NCOs of the UAF.
SHAPE's Partnerships Directorate, Deputy Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Bülent Turan, led a team from SHAPE to visit several military training establishments in Ukraine from Nov. 07 to 11, 2021. - NATO photos by SHAPE Public Affairs Office
"The visit we are conducting to various officers' schools and training establishments allow my NATO team to witness a wide range of procedures aimed at all Force Domains, reinforcing the significant and valuable contributions by Ukraine to NATO-led missions and operations," Rear Admiral Turan added.
"I really want to emphasise the importance of this 15th iteration of NATO Days in Ukraine. This is because NATO and Ukraine's Distinctive Partnership is so important. Since Ukraine joined the partnership for peace initiative, Ukraine has always shown to be an extremely active and reliable partner manifesting a strong commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration and being steadfast in cooperation with NATO through our multiple cooperation frameworks," concluded Turan.
NATO Days in Ukraine is a key component of Ukraine's willingness to reform. And throughout the visits and briefings the Ukrainian chain of command amplified how relevant and essential such visits were to both the authorities and the future leaders of the UAF.
NATO is committed to supporting Ukraine by helping to strengthen the capacity of its armed forces, as well as the broader reforms that help Ukraine move forward with its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.