WORKING VISIT TO SPAIN BY THE INCOMING COMMANDER OF THE NATO MISSION IN IRAQ

• Lieutenant General Cas Schreus from the Netherlands will succeed Lieutenant General José Antonio Agüero Martínez.

Next May will see the change of command of the NATO Mission in Iraq (NMI). The operation is currently headed by Spanish Lieutenant General José Antonio Agüero Martínez. Lieutenant General Cas Schreurs will be the new Commander of this Atlantic Alliance operation.

In preparation for the handover, General Schreurs visited our country and had the opportunity to meet at the Operations Command with Brigadier General Carlos Prada Larrea, Deputy Support to the Chief of Staff of the Operations Command. General Schreurs was accompanied by three officers and the political advisor of the Netherlands, as well as an officer and an assistant of the Defence Attaché for Spain, Algeria and Morocco of the Dutch Embassy. Also part of the delegation was the future Chief of Staff of the NMI, Brigadier General José de Meer Madrid, algong with three officers from his staff for this operation.

General Schreurs also visited the Joint Chiefs of Staff where he was received by Lieutenant General Fernando García González-Valerio, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JEMACON). They held a working meeting with the participation of representatives of the Strategy Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During the meeting, General Schreurs thanked Spain and in particular the current command team for their efforts. Several issues of common interest were discussed, including an update on the evolution and strategic situation of NATO's mission in Iraq and the exchange of experiences and lessons learned.