The opening of the Berlin Security Conference (BSC) 2023 was melodious. The Bundeswehr’s Stabsmusikcoprs played for the first time. After the anthems of Europe, the Netherlands and Germany resounded in the hall, the stage was set for the more than 1,400 participants, over 100 speakers and more than 50 exhibitors.
The hall was filled with high-calibre speeches. The German Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, and the Dutch Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren, not only emphasised their cooperation on stage, but also put it into action. In a joint declaration, they reaffirmed their cooperation. Military voices were also heard extensively. Rear Admiral Tobias Abry, Chief of Staff Naval Command, Germany, Vice Admiral Dr Thomas Daum, Chief of the DEU Cyber and Information Domain Service, Lieutenant General Thorsten Poschwatta, Commander Air Operations Command, Germany, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, Chief of the DEU Army, Lieutenant General Martin Schelleis, Chief of the DEU Joint Support and Enabling Service, Major General (MC) Dr Norbert Weller, Deputy Chief of the DEU Armed Forces Medical Service and Lieutenant General Martin Wijnen, Commander Land Forces Royal Netherlands Army exchanged views on the future of the armed forces in a panel discussion. The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, also spoke.
With Dr Roy Chun Lee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan, East Asian perspectives and the topic of the Indo-Pacific were also represented.
The panel sessions provided space for a more in-depth discussion of specific topics. 14 panels on topics such as multi-domain operations or procurement reflected the broad spectrum of defence in the 21st century.
After the insightful and instructive BSC 2023, we are pleased to announce that the fanfare for the BSC will sound again on 19 November 2024.