EUROCORPS Outgoing+Incoming Commander Bavinchov+Buchsenschmidt to EuroFora:EUCSDP Autonomy New Tools

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- While 20 years have just completed since its creation, shortly before a forthcoming EU Summit defines Europe's Security and Defence Policy for the foreseeable Future, EUROCORS, a fully Multinational Etat Major Headquartered in Strasbourg and able to lead Combined Operations in Land, Air and Sea, after having recently been tested in "Hot" Missions abroad, from Kosovo up to Afghanistan, led by successive Commanders General with a personal Experience in High Qualiity Planning and Training, as well as in various European, African and/or Asian Missions, is now Ready and eager, after its capabilities were recognized both by NATO and the EU, to take over some more Ambitious Tasks, mainly by the EU, (as the European Parliament has repeatedly supported in Resolutions adopted in Strasbourg between 2008 and 2010+), for the forseable Future, practically said its experienced outgoing and incoming Commander Generals, Olivier de Bavinchov (France) and Guy Buschsenschimidt (Belgium) respectively, replying to "EuroFora"s and other Journalists questions during a Press Conference held at the "Rhine Palace", just before the Change of Command ceremony at Republic's Square, in the presence of the Heads of Armies from its Framework Nations, while also highlighting what Modern High-Tech. Tools are still needed Today in order for Europe to become able to have an Autonomous Defence capability, as we had asked :

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 "EuroFora" raised "2 Questions", in fact interlinked to eachother :

- (A) "In general, what do you expect from the forthcoming EU Brussels' Summit of December 2013, which is due to make an exceptional review of EU's Security and Defence Policy and on its Future prospects ?"

+ (B) "And, in parfticular, f.ex., since you've both just reminded your wish for EUROCORPS to become a fully-fledged, Terrestrial, Airborn and Naval Force, what do you think about the recent controversy on Drones (Unmanned Air Vehicles) : Are  they among the most Vital Needs for the development of an Autonomous EU Security and Defence Policy, or not ?"

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The Replies were even more Interesting, complete and far-reaching, that initially expected :

    - "On the 1st Question, we both believe that EUROCORPS, more than 20 Years after it was created, has now become "Mature" enough. So that we'd obviously expect from the December 2013 EU Council a Political reLaunch concerning European Defence's Tools".

    In this regard, "EUROCORPS seems very well placed, taking into account its Background, its Operational Experience, its Involvement and its Level of Competence, that it has reached Today, and which is recognized both by NATO and the EU, as well as from our big allies, for the certainly important Decisions due too be taken by that December 2013 EU Council", General de Bavinchove replied from the outset to "EuroFora"s 1st question.

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But, the most interesting was yet to come :

    + "Concerning the 2nd Question, EUROCORPS' development until now was a Natural one : It's a development which results, at first, from the lessons learned at the Operations' theaters (areas)", and mainly from "the Principal Areas where we have been involved at  2 occasions : In Afghanistan, for the first time back on 2004, and for the second time on 2011-2013, during a period of more than 18 Months (+ 1,5 year)".

    - "This Experience teaches us 2 main things, which are very important : "

    (A) "That we must build an Architecture of Commandement, which allows us to better master everything which is related to Governance and Development, from all points of view",

    (B) "That Modern Operations use a lot of Tools, as f.ex. those that You evoked, (i.e. UAVs, comp. Supra), but also Others, that you didn't evoke, but that EUROCORPS has to master", he added.

-    - "Among these Tools, are naturally included "Real-Time Communications", the "Acceleration of Decision-making" processes, everything which has to do with the use of "Special Forces", the "Targetting" from all points of view, and, finally, I believe that there is an entire set of tools to develop concerning what is called "Cyber-Defence", which is absolutely Necessary for the years to come".

    + But, "I would like to enlarge, a little bit, the Question that you raised, by saying that Today, well beyond the Change of Command, that will take place in a few Minutes, what seems to be extremely Interesting for EUROCORPS is the Continuity (the Follow-up) : General Buchsenshmidt was my Chief of Staff for more than 2 Years, and he knows perfectly well all Files, all Issues, and all Studies that we had launched and he can fully master them. He was engaged in many Working Groups, particularly when I was in Afghanistan (as ISAF's Chief of Staff : See "EuroFora"s relevant previous NewsReports ; .... ), so that there won't be any Gap nor Break up, there won't be any loss of know-how, neither of Time : The fact that General Buchsenschmidt already knows perfectly well the entire set of areas, and has an extremely Clear View on what must be attaigned, and what must be learned during the 2 forthcoming Years (2014-2015), is absolutely promising, a fortiori since his own Chief of Staf, General Thierry Corbet, who was already here, in EUROCORPS and at Afghanistan as Operations' Chief, is now upgraded.

    - "So that there is a real Continuity, which makes it possible to be much more Efficient in the Appropriation of these New Methods of Work, New Commandment's Architectures, these New Challenges that EUROCORPS will have to face during the next 2 Years", General de Bavinchove concluded in reply to "EuroFora"s questions.                                                                                                                                                   ------------------------------------

    +  Speaking earlier on the same issue, General Guy Buchsenschmit confirmed, indeed, that "we are not changing the main Projects", since he has "no intention to drop the Initiatives already taken by my predecessor, General de Bavinchov, as well as by his own predecessor, General Domrose, (Comp. Replies of both former EUROCORPS' Commanders General to various relevant "EuroFora"s Questions in the Past) : We have started to work in order to set up a concept projecting towards  a MultiNational Force, but also able to act Jointly,

which can include not only Terrestrial, but also Air-Naval Forces, as well as a Series of 5 Trainings during 2 years, which aim to give to EUROCORPS the Capacities to evolve  in an environment where it will be able to use both Terrestrial and Air-Naval tools : That's a Major Task for the 2 Next Years", he underlined.             

    
    ++ Questioned by another Coillegue Journalist about a forthcoming Franco-German Summit in Berlin, next December, General Buchsenschmidt "expressed the Hope that such moves  might lead to make a Better Use of EUROCORPS than in the Past, since it has been now a number of years that it hasn't been really used by the EU", he regretted.

    - "We, (EUROCORPS) are both NATO and EU compatible", but "it's better to Stop projecting EUROCORPS only inside a NATO's area. If there is a possibility to re-start using it mainly for EU Tasks, that would be nice, and I'd express a Wish for that to be so",, the new EUROCORPS' commander stressed in substance.

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    + Amiral Edouard Guillaud, the French Army's Head, who is currently Chairing the Joint Committee of the 5 Framework Nations, spoke in the presence also of the Heads of the Armies of Belgium :  General Caulenberge, who co-chaired today's event, of Germany : General Wieker, of Spain : General Carasso (special Envoy of the Chief of staff), and of Luxembourg : General Daubenfeld, as well as of Poland (due to fully join EUROCORPS as 6th Framework Nation on January 2016) : General Gocul, mainly in order to briefly highlight EUROCORPS' History and Future :

    Created more than 20 years earlier by a Franco-German Initiative, in order to be able to defend our Values in Europe and in the World, EUROCORPS has now 5 Framework Nations, and soon a 6th one : Poland, while Romania and even USA are due to be Associated in the next few years, while several other EU Countries are Associated through Liaison Officers at Strasbourg's HQ , (Austria, Greece, Italy, Poland, etc) and recently even Non-EU but NATO-member Turkey. During its first 2 Decades, EUROCORPS followed a kind of Double Track progress, by both developing its Capacities, while also engaging in various Missions abroad, such as Kosovo, Afghanistan, etc, he reminded, calling it to be fully Ready for the Missions that the leading European Countries will assign to it in the Future.