On Monday 6 November 2023, the Cooperative Security Division of the International Military Staff (IMS) welcomed a group of Ukrainian cadets to the NATO Headquarters for briefings on NATO-Ukrainian military cooperation. The cadets were officially welcomed to NATO by the Cooperative Security Director, Major General Dacian-Tiberiu Șerban.
Welcoming the cadets, Major General Șerban highlighted the important role they will play as future leaders in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "Since the start of Russia's illegal war against Ukraine, your Armed Forces have demonstrated an unwavering will to push back the invaders. With the support of Allied and Partner Nations, you have been making strides regaining your territory and liberating your people. There are many lessons to be learned in the process… lessons you will to apply when you help rebuild your Armed Forces and secure your Nation", he noted.
Through a series of briefings, the Ukrainian cadets, selected from eight Ukrainian Military Academies, were then introduced to NATO and the importance of Partnerships as well as the role of the IMS Cooperative Security Division as the lead for all military cooperation within the NATO-Ukraine Partnership and on NATO's Partnership Mechanisms and Tools. The visit was organised within the framework of the "Military Committee with Ukraine Work Plan" and aims to build awareness on the military-to-military partnership between NATO and Ukraine.
The group then headed to SHAPE for the second part of the programme, which included complementary briefings on NATO's military cooperation with Ukraine and NATO's Operations Capability Concept Evaluation and Feedback (OCC E&F) programme, which aims to build, achieve and verify the interoperability and operational capability of designated units so they can participate in NATO-led operations.
The group will return to NATO HQ on 7th November 2023 to attend the Partnership Training and Education Centres (PTECs) Marketplace, which showcases 34 centres, based in NATO and partner countries.
