New chairman of NATO's Military Committee takes office
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail
Xinhua, January 3, 2012
Danish General Knud Bartels took office on Monday as the Chairman of NATO's Military Committee to succeed Italian Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola.
General Bartels, Chief of Defense in Denmark, was elected to the top NATO military post by the Chiefs of Defense of 28 NATO countries on Sept. 17, 2011.
He was expected to take over from Di Paola in June. However, as Di Paola was appointed as Italy's new Defense Minister in November and resigned his NATO post, Bartels had to take office several months earlier.
Acting as the chairman, Bartels will be the principal military adviser to NATO Secretary General, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The Chairman of the Military Committee is elected for a three-year tenure. Since 1963, when the position was permanently installed, the chairmanship has been held by 16 officers from NATO member nations.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)