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NATO CGS's in Brussels to discuss future of operations in Afghanistan

Also they will discuss partnership with Russia

© Архив EPA/YVES HERMAN/POOL

BRUSSELS, January 22, 3:37 /ITAR-TASS/. The Chiefs of the General Staff (CGS) of NATO's 28 member-countries gathre here on 22 january for a two-day meeting to discuss the future of operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo, partnership with Russia, as well as the Alliance's large-scale exercises in 2015, NATO's Military Committee official told Itar-Tass.

According to the Committee official, NATO's military leaders will discuss the course of the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan together with General Joseph Dunford, Commander of the International Security Assistanc Force (ISAF).

As for the operation in Kosovo, participants in the session will exchange views on the future of NATO's contingent in the territory of the non-recognized republic.

The CGS's of Russia and NATO are also to meet here on 22 januaru. They are expected to approve a working plan for this year's cooperation. Participants in the session are to sum up the results of joint activities in 2013 and discuss main arrangements in the sphere of military cooperation for 2014, the NATO Military Committee official told Itar-Tass.

Russia will be represented at the session by General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, the CGS of the RF Armed Forces.

Apart from relations with partners from Russia, the NATO military leaders are to meet with their counterparts from countries participating in the Mediterranean Dialogue programme and in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.

The CGS's will also discuss the state of the military capabilities of the Alliance in the light of the implementation of the Smart Defense concept (which envisions an utterly effective use of the defense potential in the conditions of limited financing and contractionary adjustment, and NATO's forthcoming large-scale exercises om southern Europe in 2015. The purpose of the exercises will be to check the operational readiness of the forces of the Alliance.

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