XV Meeting of the Chiefs of Defence of the member countries of the '5+5 Initiative'.

• Spain will take over the chairmanship of the working group from Portugal in 2024.

Lisbon hosted the XV Meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff of the '5+5 Defence Initiative'. The working meeting was attended by representatives of all the member countries, Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Spain.

The Spanish delegation was headed by the Chief of Defence (CHOD), Admiral General Teodoro E. López Calderón. In this framework of reference, made up of the nations of the two shores of the Mediterranean Sea, there was an opportunity to discuss matters of common interest, address the future of the Initiative and improve military cooperation between the member nations.

The 5+5 Initiative, founded in 2004, aims to serve as a meeting point for the exchange of knowledge and experience between member states in the area of security and defence. The joint military exercises, which take place annually, are a good example of the development achieved in shared security in the area. Spain's commitment to the Initiative has been demonstrated over the last decade, with 2023 being a year in which the role played by the Spanish Armed Forces has been particularly noteworthy.

During this year, numerous activities have been carried out in our country and in neighbouring countries, covering a wide variety of areas such as maritime security, cyber defence, training, the fight against improvised explosive devices, the implementation of the gender perspective in operations, research and the exchange of experiences among experts in special operations.

Spain will chair the 5+5 Initiative during 2024, taking over from Portugal.