Seoul, 8-9 September 2025 - The Chair of the Military Committee (CMC), Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, visited the Republic of Korea, and participated as a keynote speaker in the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD). During the visit CMC met with political and military leaders of the Indo-Pacific NATO Partner.
During Admiral Cavo Dragone's keynote speech at the SDD, he emphasised NATO's relationship with its global partners stating that "NATO's approach is more determined than ever towards the relevance of partnering by choice, to pursue and preserve common values." In the context of the conference and ongoing global security developments, CMC stressed that "there shall be no doubt: what happens in the Indo-Pacific echoes in the Euro-Atlantic, and vice versa."
CMC concluded his keynote speech with the following message: "To our citizens, we must convey a clear and transparent message: prevention is cheaper than war; deterrence is stronger when shared; resilience is not limited to the military realm, but it relates strongly to energy independence, robust infrastructure, public-private collaboration and a whole-of-society approach. There is no doubt at all: deterrence is our HOW and peace is our WHY."
The participation to the SSD presented the great and welcomed opportunity for Admiral Cavo Dragone to meet with the Minister of National Defence, Ahn Gyu-back, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Kim Myung-soo, and highlight the fruitful, growing cooperation between the Republic of Korea and NATO.
Furthermore, Admiral Cavo Dragone's meeting with defence industry leaders from the Republic of Korea emphasised the importance NATO is placing on boosting defence investment and collaboration, a topic that was agreed on at the most recent NATO Summit in The Hague.
