Category: NATO

Mr. Rutte highlighted the momentum from the recent NATO Summit in The Hague, where Allies agreed to a 5% GDP defence spending target and increased defence industrial production as well as continued support to Ukraine. He underscored how this effort brings all three together just weeks after the historic decisions were made. NATO is now working on substantial military equipment packages, including air defence systems, missiles, and ammunition. Rather than a single, finite package, the announcement yesterday marks new impetus, focused on rapid, substantial equipment transfers to Ukraine. “This is Europe stepping up,” he stated, noting commitments from Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada, with more expected to follow. 

While in Washington, the Secretary General also had meetings with the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as well as Members of Congress. 

During his welcome remarks, the Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling, acknowledged General Baltrėnas’s extensive military career, which combines various postings: “A proud Lithuanian and dedicated soldier, General Baltrėnas brings with him over three decades of distinguished service to his nation and to the wider Euro-Atlantic community. Your background, therefore, bridges the tactical and strategic, the national and the multinational, as an invaluable asset in today’s complex security environment.”

Taking the floor, Lieutenant General Baltrėnas thanked the Committee for the warm welcome and pledged to the Nations and Chiefs of Defence who entrusted him with DGIMS responsibility:  “As the new Director in this well-structured organism, I will do my utmost to maintain its agility, adaptability, speed and effectiveness. The greatest strength, treasure and success of the International Military Staff are its military and civilian personnel. I have no doubt that they will all continue contributing to the Alliance with the greatest dedication,” Lieutenant General Baltrėnas said.

Lieutenant General Remigijus Baltrėnas took over the DGIMS position from the outgoing Director General, Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak, on 10 July 2025. He is a three-star General in the Lithuanian Army, elected by the NATO Chiefs of Defence in September 2024, and will serve a three-year term.

The Director General of the International Military Staff (DGIMS) is responsible for the coordination between the decision-making bodies of the Alliance, the two Strategic Commanders, national military personnel from NATO and Partner countries working in Brussels, and the civilian International Staff, that support the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council, so that the IMS can provide the best possible policy advice to the Military Committee.

The Director General heads the International Military Staff, the executive body of the NATO Military Committee, which prepares assessments and studies on NATO military issues, identifying areas of strategic and operational interest and, most importantly, proposes courses of action. The IMS enables the National Military Representatives to address military issues rapidly and effectively, ensuring that the Military Committee provides the North Atlantic Council with consensus-based advice on all military aspects of policy, operations, and transformation within the Alliance.

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14:30 (CEST) Deputy Secretary General’s remarks followed by an exchange of views with parliamentarians.

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The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.

Transcripts of the Deputy Secretary General’s remarks, as well as photographs, will be available on the NATO website.

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For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office

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9:35 (CEST) Participation by the NATO Deputy Secretary General in the 107th Rose-Roth Seminar

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The event will be streamed live on the Multimedia Centre portal of the European Parliament.

For more information:

For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office

For more information about the event, please access the event’s website.

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There will be no media opportunity.

Photographs will be available on the NATO website.

For more information:
For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office

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At a farewell ceremony held at NATO Headquarters, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, praised Lieutenant General Adamczak’s tenure, stating: “Your leadership has not only shaped the IMS, but has strengthened the very core of our Alliance. The IMS has been able to support the Military Committee and me, every single day, ensuring that we could focus on our purpose: to build and maintain the greatest military Alliance the world has ever known.”

In a farewell address to the IMS, Lieutenant General Adamczak praised his staff: “Trust between divisions, between military and civilian personnel, and between nations, has been the foundation of everything we’ve achieved. Our responsibility has been to provide honest, professional, and clear military advice, even when it is difficult. And that is precisely what this staff has done. You have delivered truth without hesitation, and you have done so with integrity. Thank you to every single one of you who contributed – often quietly, often without recognition – to the mission we serve. Your work has not gone unnoticed. Your dedication has not been taken for granted.”

During his time as Director General, the IMS continued to play a pivotal role in shaping NATO’s military response to a dynamically changing security environment. From supporting the Alliance’s evolving defence posture to enhancing its ability to respond to crises, and from coordinating support to Ukraine to advancing military planning coherence, the IMS helped align strategic decisions with real-world implementation.

Lieutenant General Adamczak is succeeded by Lieutenant General Remigijus Baltrėnas  (Lithuania Army). A senior officer with deep experience in national and international defence roles, Lieutenant General Baltrėnas was selected for this position by the Chiefs of Defence at the 2024 Military Committee Conference in Prague. He takes up the post as NATO continues to adapt to a new era of collective defence.

The International Military Staff is the executive body of the Military Committee and NATO’s primary source of military expertise at Headquarters. Comprising both military and civilian personnel from across the Alliance, the IMS provides sound expertise across the whole spectrum of military activities to the Military Committee, thus contributing to the synergy between NATO’s political and military structures, and supporting the consensus-based decision-making process.

The Deputy Secretary General will attend the Dubrovnik Forum 2025 and have a number of bilateral engagements on the margins of the Forum.

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12 July, 13:00 (CEST) Participation at the Dubrovnik Forum 2025 by the NATO Deputy Secretary General

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The event will be streamed live on the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Croatia.
 
For more information:
For general queries: contact the NATO Press Office
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Mr Rutte commended Germany’s resolve, commitment and contributions to our shared security, and its landmark decision to invest significantly more in defence. Highlighting the importance of Germany’s defence industrial base, he said, “your world-class industries and entrepreneurs are capable to ramp up production, innovate and deliver”.

At a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO, the Secretary General thanked Germany for its contributions to the Alliance.  Speaking in German, and echoing the words of Germany’s first Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, Mr Rutte recognised that Germany continues to be an “able and reliable” Ally, ready to take on more responsibility.  “When the world becomes more dangerous, and our security is at stake – Germany steps up,” Mr Rutte said.

While in Berlin, Mr Rutte also met President of the Bundestag Julia Klöckner, Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul, parliamentarians from the Defence Committee, and Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, who hosted the 70th anniversary event at the Ministry of Defence. 

Highlights included a detailed presentation on Norway’s model for border protection, which features close cooperation between national entities such as the Border Commissioner, the Police, and the Armed Forces. Participants also visited the Parsvik Border Station, where they observed highly skilled and motivated young soldiers guarding the Norwegian-Russian border.

One of the NCR’s key objectives is the sharing of best practices. Norway, Finland and Sweden presented their national approaches to Total Defence. They outlined how they involve the whole of society in conscription, mobilization, recruitment, education and training, with a strong focus on integrating Reserves into regular Armed Forces structures.

The meeting also provided a timely opportunity to explore the growing strategic importance of NATO’s Nordic Region and the High North. Delegates left Kirkenes with valuable insights and practical knowledge to help further develop national Reserve capabilities. The Committee will reconvene for its Winter Plenary Meeting in Norfolk, USA, from 26 to 29 January 2026.

The NCR serves as the Military Committee’s standing advisory body on Reserve matters. It is composed of national representatives along with liaison officers from the International Military Staff (IMS), Allied Command Operations (ACO), and Allied Command Transformation (ACT).

On 2-3 July 2025 in Warsaw, Poland, over 30 expert participants from eight NATO Allies and Ukraine joined a workshop to exchange experiences and views, and to develop recommendations.  The recommendations address food and water contingency planning, infrastructure protection, public-private cooperation and enhancing overall food- and water-related societal resilience. In particular, Ukrainian demining experts shared their insights on how to plan for demining operations to restore the affected agricultural areas.

The workshop aimed to inform future planning for NATO and Ukraine by identifying new strategies, approaches and possible impact mitigation measures. NATO will continue to support Ukraine and incorporate the lessons learned into its thinking. NATO and its Allies work daily to ensure the resilience of food systems across the Alliance, future-proofing them against disruption and shocks, and to safeguard their essential functions for our societies.