(VOVworld) - NATO on Friday appointed General Petr Pavel, previously the chief of defense of the Czech Republic, as the new chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

General Petr Pavel receives NATO Military Committee gavel from General Knud Bartels. Photo: nato.int

NATO said in the press release: "This is an important moment in the history of the Alliance as General Pavel is the first representative of a former Warsaw Pact nation to become chairman of the Military Committee.” Pavel said in his speech that he would be starting his tenure at "an interesting but demanding time for the Alliance characterized by significant changes in the security environment regarding the Ukraine crisis, the Islamic State, and waves of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe. The Chairman is NATO’s senior military officer and the senior military spokesman for the Alliance on all military matters. Moreover, he is the principal military advisor to the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council.