The external military diplomacy network brings together defence attachés, representatives of the armed forces and military advisors. Integrated into the Swiss representations in almost 60 countries as well as in the five multilateral organisations: the UN, the OSCE, NATO, the EU and the African Union, this network defends the bilateral and multilateral interests of the DDPS and the armed forces. Its work – such as high-level visits by the department management and the armed forces command, military cooperation projects or exclusive analyses of the situation – is useful to the beneficiaries of services at the many levels of the DDPS and other administrative units.
This year’s conference, which took place in Spiez from 11 to 16 August, was in line with a tried and tested approach of regularly setting up a platform to promote exchanges between those representing military diplomacy and those who make decisions at headquarters. Held for the first time under the leadership of the new Head of International Relations Defence, Major General Germaine J. F. Seewer, the conference provided an opportunity to directly convey key messages from the State Secretary for Security Policy, Markus Mäder, and the Chief of the Armed Forces, Corps Commander Thomas Süssli. It also featured other presentations, including by the Chief of Armaments, Urs Loher, the Director of the Federal Office for Cyber Security, Florian Schütz, and representatives of the Federal Intelligence Service, Military Intelligence and the Armed Forces Preventive Protection Service.
The representation of the interests of the DDPS and the armed forces is facing new challenges due to the deteriorating security situation in Europe and the emergence of other hotbeds of geopolitical tension. In order to implement the Federal Council’s aim of strengthening the Swiss Armed Forces’ defence capability and international cooperation, a well-connected and efficient external network for military diplomacy must be set up. Military diplomacy plays a key role in this: it must pave the way for our armed forces to cooperate internationally, enable them to establish contacts, build strong networks and get to know their international partners better. Military diplomats abroad act as on-site intermediaries through which international military cooperation can be initiated and continued.
The current presentations by service recipients on the political debates and implementation work carried out at headquarters reinforce the idea of the military diplomats of the external network defending their interests as needed. In addition, the conference provides the relevant administrative units in Bern with valuable feedback from this network. The role of diplomats as “sensors” abroad helps decision-makers in the fields of security policy, intelligence services, cybersecurity, military and armaments, who can thus quickly identify any developments in the situation and react to them.
Strengthening the international cooperation of the Swiss Armed Forces was the central theme of the annual conference of defence attachés and military advisors held in Spiez from 11 to 16 August, under the leadership of the new head of the International Defence Relations department, Major General Germaine J. F. Seewer, for the first time. The beneficiaries of services from the DDPS, the armed forces and other administrative units discussed the current challenges facing the headquarters in Bern and formulated certain needs for military diplomacy.
This article is originally published on vtg.admin.ch
