The 27th Conference of the Chiefs of Defense of the U.S.-Adriatic Charter Initiative (A-5) has begun.
This conference is co-chaired by the Chief of the General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces, Major General Arben Kingji, and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, also the Commander of U.S. Forces in Europe, General Christopher G. Cavoli.
The focus of this conference will be on developments and dynamics in the security environment in the region and beyond, increasing defense spending above the 2% threshold of Gross Domestic Product as a way to meet the Alliance’s capacity objectives and NATO’s planning and review objectives for partner countries.
Participating in today’s proceedings are the signatory countries of A-5: the U.S., Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
Additionally, representatives from Kosovo and Slovenia are present as observers, along with the commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, and the general adjutants from the respective U.S. National Guard partnership states (New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Vermont, Maine) and the State Partnership Program observer states (Ohio, Colorado, Iowa).
