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Central Europe defense conference aligns Allies, strengthens relationships
U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe – bookended by Amb. Kate Marie Byrnes, civilian deputy and foreign policy advisor to U.S. European Command, and Croatian Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid, chief of the Croatian Armed Forces General Staff – leads discussion as co-host of the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense conference held in Split, Croatia, from June 10-11, 2024. “Venues like this one provide a forum to share ideas and to continue our strategic dialogue which is always aimed toward a free and prosperous Europe,” Cavoli said.
Photo by: Tomislav Brandt
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Central Europe defense conference aligns Allies, strengthens relationships
Chiefs of Defense from Central Europe and the surrounding region join U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli (fourth form left), commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Croatian Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid (fifth from left), chief of the Croatian Armed Forces General Staff, for a posed photo during the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense conference held in Split, Croatia, from June 10-11, 2024. The event drew senior military leaders from Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. This year’s iteration was also attended by delegations from both Moldova and Türkiye to further discuss regional security and strengthen partnerships.
Photo by: Tomislav Brandt
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Central Europe defense conference aligns Allies, strengthens relationships
U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, poses alongside Croatian Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid, chief of the Croatian Armed Forces General Staff, during the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense conference held in Split, Croatia, from June 10-11, 2024. The event drew senior military leaders from Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. This year’s iteration was also attended by delegations from both Moldova and Türkiye to further discuss regional security and strengthen partnerships.
Photo by: Tomislav Brandt
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Central Europe defense conference aligns Allies, strengthens relationships
Croatian Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid, chief of the Croatian Armed Forces General Staff, leads discussion as co-host of the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense conference held in Split, Croatia, from June 10-11, 2024. “The most efficient way to successfully deter and defend is to act together, and discussions today facilitate the preparations and capabilities required for successful deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area,” Kundid said.
Photo by: Tomislav Brandt
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Central Europe defense conference aligns Allies, strengthens relationships
Regional leaders took part in the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense conference held in Split, Croatia, from June 10-11, 2024. During the conference leaders discussed collective efforts toward enhancing cyber and space security and enabling the rapid deployment of forces to respond to crisis via military mobility agreements and prepositioned stocks.
Photo by: Tomislav Brandt
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Central Europe defense conference aligns Allies, strengthens relationships
Chief Master Sergeant Michael McCarty, representing U.S. European Command' Senior Enlisted Leader Command Sgt. Maj. Rob Abernathy, and Croatian Command Sgt. Maj. Dalibor Dumbović, sergeant major of the Croatian Army, co-host a meeting of senior enlisted leaders as part of the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense conference in Split, Croatia, June 10. The meeting provided an opportunity for senior enlisted leaders form Central Europe nations and their U.S. National Guard counterparts to strengthen military ties, address ongoing security challenges, enhance mutual understanding, and improve interoperability and joint training development.
U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, co-hosted the 2024 Central Europe Chiefs of Defense Conference alongside Croatian Lt. Gen. Tihomir Kundid, chief of the Croatian Armed Forces General Staff, in Split, Croatia, June 10-11, 2024.
The event drew senior military leaders from Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. This year’s iteration was also attended by delegations from both Moldova and Türkiye to further discuss regional security and strengthen partnerships.
“Venues like this one provide a forum to share ideas and to continue our strategic dialogue which is always aimed toward a free and prosperous Europe,” said Cavoli. “We have begun the wholesale reorganization of our Alliance to bring it from focusing on out-of-area operations…to focus on collective territorial defense. This important transition will secure the nations of our Alliance now and into the future.”
During the conference leaders discussed collective efforts toward enhancing cyber and space security and enabling the rapid deployment of forces to respond to crisis via military mobility agreements and prepositioned stocks.
“The emphasis of our conference is strengthening our readiness and the readiness of our Allies to successfully face the security threats and challenges of our time,” said Kundid. “The most efficient way to successfully deter and defend is to act together, and discussions today facilitate the preparations and capabilities required for successful deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic area.”
The conference was also attended by representatives of the U.S. National Guard Bureau under the auspices of the State Partnership Program, which aligns National Guard organizations with partner nations to hone their ability to operate as one to address security challenges.
Prior to the conference, Gen. Cavoli met with Croatian President Zoran Milanović, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Defense Minister Ivan Anušić to further the nations’ enduring partnership and comprehensive approach to security cooperation.
Regularly hosted by Allies throughout Europe, Chiefs of Defense conferences are a key component of USEUCOM’s comprehensive approach to regional security. Through continuous engagement, USEUCOM and its Allies foster enduring partnerships and strengthen cooperation among Allied and partner nations.
