Press Releases

Platter receives Strategic Directors in the Hofburg: “ESDP is a particularly active area within the EU”

Today (Friday), Defence Minister Günther Platter welcomed the Strategic Directors of the EU partner countries in the Hofburg in Vienna. “As the holder of the EU Presidency, we wish to promote dialogue and enable compromises to be made”, underlined Minister Platter in his speech. “The Security and Defence Policy is among the most active areas within the European Union. We want to launch long-term initiatives during our Presidency.”

One minute’s silence was observed for the 44 Slovak peacekeeping troops who died in the plane crash yesterday. “I wish to express my sincere condolences to the Slovak Republic”, said the Minister. The plane crash is a terrible misfortune. “My sympathy is with the Slovak people, particularly the victims’ relatives.”

The Informal Meeting of the Strategic Directors (advisers to Defence Ministers in the area of defence policy at the level of officials) is the first high-level ESDP event to be held in Austria during the EU Presidency. The Strategic Directors are discussing the further course of development in the areas of CMCO (Civil-Military Co-ordination) and Security Sector Reform (SSR) and improvement of the EU’s response capability in the event of major disasters. During the meeting, the current and possible future ESDP operations, as well as the situation in the Balkans and Africa, will also be discussed.

The further development of capacities within the framework of the 2010 Headline Goal, the development of the progress catalogue and the long-term military vision will also be discussed during the working session. At the end of the meeting, Nick Witney, the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, will comment on current developments relating to the European Defence Agency.

The results and ideas from this meeting will form the basis for the Informal Meeting of Defence Ministers to be held in Innsbruck on 6 and 7 March this year, and will set the direction for the further development of ESDP topics during the Austrian EU Presidency.