Lieutenant General Zdzisław Goral, Commander of the Multinational Corps Northeast, took part in the conference "Impulse 21", which is the Berlin Forum for Security Policy. The event took place on November 27th, 2008.
Impulse 21 is a series of annual conferences devoted to topics of high importance in the sphere of global security. It is organised by the German Ministry of Defence and Der Tagesspiegel newspaper for high-ranking personages of the ministry, military and economy level from both Germany and Europe.
This year’s conference focused on the demands of the Armed Forces for the future. The opening remarks were given by Dr Franz Josef Jung, the Federal Minister of Defence. Then, Prof. Horst Köhler, the President of Germany, discussed the position of the German Bundeswehr in the contemporary "architecture" of security. He emphasized the importance of so-called comprehensive approach encompassing the cooperation between the military and civil worlds. He also discussed the implications of the overall trend to reduce expenses spent on the Army. Finally, he appealed for making a more strategic and political forum of consultations, focusing especially on transatlantic relations.
Another speaker of the conference, the Right Honourable John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Defence of the UK, elaborated on the future of NATO. He noticed a need for implementing some amendments in the policy and structure to make the Alliance more efficient and capable of facing new challenges. As he said, the greatest danger for NATO is irrelevancy.
Apart from addresses given by special guest of the conference, there were panel discussions conducted to share views and opinions of all participants of the conference. Vivid debates referred among other things to closer cooperation between the police and the army, which is perceived as a prerequisite for development as well as the comprehensive approach, according to which the combined effort of the military and civilians is essential.
The Stephas-Andreas Casdorff, the Editor in Chief-in-Editor of Der Tagesspeigel, delivered the closing remarks of the conference.
As one of the conference participants Lieutenant Colonel Roger Specht said, the conference was a good opportunity for exchanging experts’ opinions, which may serve as a good starting point for further discussions.
