The Conference was opened on the November the 6th, with a discussion on the Western Balkans Partnership with a view on the future of Operation ALTHEA. The Operation Commander, General Sir James Everard, who is also the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), updated the EU Chiefs of Defense on the current situation and the Director of the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD), Amb. Gabor Iklody, provided an overall vision and highlighted the challenges for the future.

A dedicated session on the Follow Up to the Implementation of the EU Global Strategy gave EU Chiefs of Defense the opportunity to discuss the latest developments on PESCO and CARD. Deputy Secretary General for CSDP, Amb. Pedro Serrano, EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq, and Director General EUMS, Lieutenant General Esa Pulkkinen updated the EU CHODs and provided them with an overview on these topics.

The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, General Petr Pavel, participated to the works reinforcing, once again, the strong and further increasing linkage between NATO and the EU and a dedicated session was a great opportunity to discuss EU/NATO recent advances in cooperation, including Capability development, Hybrid and Cyber domains. Works, in this respect, were facilitated by the active participation of the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Curtis

Scaparrotti, the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), General Denis Mercier and the Director of the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD).

On the second day, CHODs were provided with an overview of EU actions on Migration and updated on EU Naval Operations, ATALANTA and SOPHIA, in the view of the upcoming Strategic Review.

The Operation Commander of ATALANTA, Major General Rob Magowan CBE, referred to its successful contribution to the maritime security off the coast of Somalia and in the Indian Ocean. Subsequently, the Operation Commander of SOPHIA, Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino, pointed out the crucial role of the operation in shipwrecks saving, disabling vessels used by criminal networks, transferring suspected smugglers to authorities, training the Libyan Coastguard and Navy, contributing to the implementation of the UN arms embargo. Admiral Credendino also reported on the fulfilling of the additional tasks recently assigned by the European Council.

Following, a specific session was dedicated to Training Missions. The Committee was briefed by the Military Planning Conduct Capability (MPCC) Director who is also the Director General EUMS, Lieutenant General Esa Pulkkinen. CHODs from Partner Nations (Serbia, Montenegro, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova) and Representatives from Republic of Korea, Albania and Jordan were present and invited to discuss with the 28 EU CHODs the evolution of the EU Training Missions.

The Chief of Defense of the Tunisian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Ismail Fathalli, and the Deputy Chief of Defense of Jordanian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Mohamed Sabayleh, were invited to the meeting as guest speakers to a specific session dedicated to Partnership, and provided their own view on the fight against terrorism and the prevention of radicalisation.

A CHODs only discussion was the final session of the meeting along with the election of the current Italian Chief of Defence, General Claudio Graziano as next Permanent Chairman of the EU Military Committee.