Chief Executive Jorge Domecq welcomed NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller to the EDA today ahead of discussions mainly focused on the implementation of the EU-NATO Joint Declaration. Deputy Secretary General Gottemoeller is the first NATO official of this level to visit the EDA, signalling an important message of strengthening EU-NATO cooperation in the field of defence capabilities.
Ms. Gottemoeller’s visit began with a presentation of selected EDA capability development projects, offering an opportunity to demonstrate the work that the EDA is undertaking, for example in the area of air-to-air refuelling. The briefing provided concrete examples of how the EDA plays a crucial role in enhancing European defence capabilities, which provide also concrete benefits to NATO.
EDA Chief Executive Domecq and Deputy Secretary General Gottemoeller then held fruitful discussions on a range of EU-NATO issues. Mr. Domecq began the meeting by outlining the main developments in European security and defence including the EU Global Strategy and its Security & Defence Implementation Plan with focus on EDA’s role.
Discussions then switched to EDA-NATO relations with the main focus on the EU-NATO Joint Declaration. Mr. Domecq underscored the significance of the EU-NATO Joint Declaration and its implementation to ensure coherence of output between EU and NATO efforts. As the EDA is involved in 6 out of the 7 areas of the Joint Declaration (Resilience, Maritime, Cyber, Defence Capabilities, Defence Industry/Research, Exercises), it is crucial that EDA-NATO capitalise on their existing good interaction.
Speaking at the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Domecq commented; “I am delighted to have welcomed NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller to the EDA for extremely positive and forward looking discussions. Even before the EU-NATO Joint Declaration the Agency pursues substantive dialogue and cooperation at staff-to-staff level with NATO, from top management to expert level. However, a new culture of EU-NATO interaction was triggered due to the Joint Declaration. It has added new momentum and provides the opportunity to further enhance cooperation and to provide more visibility to the ongoing staff-to-staff talks.”