Brunssum, The Netherlands – On 11th May, the Ambassador for International Organisations based in The Netherlands, Mr Paul van den IJssel, was welcomed by General Jörg Vollmer, Commander Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS), for an introductory visit.
For JFCBS this presented the ideal opportunity to inform the Ambassador of issues that, from a NATO perspective, might be of interest to the Host Nation, specifically in the areas of resilience, infrastructure and Headquarters (HQ) personnel. To establish a basis for discussion Mr van den IJssel was provided a briefing on the legal framework appertaining to JFCBS, including bilateral agreements between The Netherlands and NATO, regulating the status of the HQ and its personnel.
During the meeting, JFCBS's Long Term Infrastructure Plan (LTIP) was also discussed. This plan seeks to identify works needed to be undertaken on the JFCBS site in order to comply with building, health and safety regulations. The works are phased, based on the condition of the current buildings, in order to allow optimal renovation sequencing and replacement of infrastructure (as necessary) without causing too much disruption to the operation of the HQ and to minimise costs. The LTIP has also been deliberated with the City of Brunssum, who remain supportive to the concept of developing the site with a continued NATO presence in the area.
General Vollmer thanked Ambassador van den IJssel for the ability to discuss issues related to the cooperation between JFCBS and its Host Nation, and his intent to act as a conduit between the HQ and the different ministries of The Netherlands impacted by these topics.