The second annual Chiefs of Defense Conference concluded last month in Honolulu Hawaii. The three-day conference was hosted by Adm. Dennis C. Blair, U.S. Commander in Chief, Pacific, and built around the theme, Changing Roles of the Militaries and Defense Sectors in Asia. At the conference Nepal was represented by its chief of Army Staff General Prajwalla SJB Rana, says a Royal Nepal Army press release.

Sixteen of the top military leaders in the Asia-Pacific region and the U.S. attending the conference deliberated on such issues as economic, military and political scenario of the region, globalisation, future trends, international exercise and operations, modernisation, including the Y2K problem. The conference was designed to increase military-to-military cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Army General Hugh Shelton, Chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff who delivered the key note address dwelt on the challenges facing the security Asia-Pacific region Millennium. “The security situation in this vital region is a dynamic one”, he said. “The traditional and non-traditional security issues, such as drug trafficking, terrorism, environment hazards, piracy and weapons proliferation will defy solution by any single nation,’ he pointed out. He also mentioned that Military-to-Military exchanges, security assistance programme and exercises are critical elements designed to increase stability and cooperation.

It may be noted that the size of the Asia-Pacific region with its varied language and cultures makes it a logistical challenge. In addition to addresses by several chiefs of defense, other civilian experts also spoke as guest speakers and members of panel covering a wide range of subjects that have overlapping effects on the militaries and nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. Pacific Command, sponsor of the second annual conference and headquartered here, is the largest geographic command covering over 50 percent of the earth’s surface from the East Coast of Africa to California and north and south to the poles.