WEISBADEN, Germany –
Senior military leaders from Central and South Asian nations and the United States gathered to discuss security issues affecting the CASA region at a July 26-27 event here today.
The U.S. Central Command-hosted chiefs of defense – or CHOD – conference is a venue for leaders to meet in person and identify opportunities to protect and promote common interests.
“As senior commanders, our job is to create decision space for senior political leaders to appropriately resource and employ our respective forces,” said U.S. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, U.S. Central Command commander. “Conferences like this increase the dialog between partners and generate a better understanding of the challenges and potential opportunities so we can make informed recommendations.”
While ISIS and foreign fighter flow are expected discussion topics, one theme will be prominent: countering the threats that remain in Afghanistan.
“We appreciate the unique contributions from our Central and South Asian partners – from providing access to the Northern Distribution Network to countering violent extremism domestically to combating narco-terrorism,” Votel said. “This kind of assistance is necessary to ensure the progress achieved in Afghanistan is sustainable and enduring.”
This is Votel’s second CASA CHOD conference since he became USCENTCOM commander in March 2016.