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Executive Director Patti Smith (our newest NAWBO-CIL member!) recently met with six European delegates to share the mission of Citizen SAM. These visitors were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. The meeting took place at the Visitor's Convention Bureau in Springfield, Illinois.
The goals of the project are:
To expose participants to U.S. security and defense policy-making and perspectives.
To examine specific security issues, such as energy security, regional conflicts. Weapons proliferation, homeland security issues, and the response to international terrorism.
To discuss European security architecture, including evolving roles of NATO, the European Union, the United Nations and other international organizations in dealing with global crises.
To explore implications for partnership in U.S. and European security policy worldwide.
Countries and participants were:
From Estonia, Ms. Anneli POOLAKESE, Desk Officer, Counter Terrorism, Cyber Security, EU-NATO Relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs
From Lithuania, Mr. Bartas TRAKYMAS, Coordinator, Afghanistan Affairs, Ministry of National Defense
From Montenegro, Mr. Mladen DRAGASEVIC, Head, Building Human Capital and Cross-Cutting Issues Unit, Regional Cooperation Council
From Portugal, Mr. Jose Carlos DE ALMEIDA SOBREIRA, Chief of Foreign Liaison Office, Office of the G2, Army Staff
From Slovenia, Mr. Klemen GROSELJ, Research Assistant, Faculty of Social Sciences
From the United Kingdom, Ms. Emily Grace McKEOWN, Head, International Terrorism Team, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)
Accompanied by Mr. Wojciech Streme, English Language Officer (Springfield, Illinois segment only)
Each delegate was given a comprehensive report to take back to their country and presented with an Operation Santa t-shirt. It was an honor to represent each of you and tell of your undying patriotism and support of our Armed Forces locally and globally!
Location: Mt Hawley Country Club, Peoria, IL 61602
