The Chairman of the European Union Military Committee travelled to The Hague on 9^th of January upon the invitation of General Onno Eichelsheim, Chief of Defence of the Netherlands. In the framework of the first visit in 2025, General Brieger met Dutch officials to exchange views on the latest developments of the geostrategic landscape and to discuss how to bolster further cooperation.

After the discussions with General Eichelsheim, the Chair met Gijs Tuinman, State Secretary for Defence at the Dutch Ministry of Defence and later Marcel de Vink Director-General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The high officials assessed the current European security environment, the common challenges and possible ways to enhance cooperation within the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). They discussed the ongoing development of the Netherlands Armed Forces and military capabilities, its contributions to military missions and operations and the way ahead in the national and European defence domains. 

Throughout the discussions the Chairman emphasized that ensuring peace and security always takes tireless efforts from all partners but also praised the Netherlands’ commitments and contributions to the EU CSDP especially with its significant and leading role in developing European Military Mobility through Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO).