If an aircraft decked out in U.S. government markings at the Victoria airport wasnB次元官网网址檛 enough of a giveaway something was happening in Victoria this week, the 250-plus uniformed members of various nationsB次元官网网址� militaries certainly helped.

Victoria hosted the 19th Pacific Command Chiefs of Defence (PACOM CHODS) conference Sept. 3 to 5 at the Victoria Conference Centre. ItB次元官网网址檚 the first time the event has been hosted by Canada.

The event brings together top military brass from countries that border the Pacific ocean, said Lt.-Cdr. John Nethercott, senior public affairs officer with Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC), with the Canadian Armed Forces.

The conference is being hosted by CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Chief of Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance and Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry B. Harris. Nethercott said there are 24 to 25 countries represented at the event B次元官网网址� from the hosts to France and the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Chile, Mongolia and Mexico, to name a few. The last conference was held in the Philippines in 2016.

Nethercott said the annual conferences are an open forum event for those countriesB次元官网网址� chiefs of defence to discuss B次元官网网址渃oncerns of mutual importance including, but not limited to, common security challenges, promotion of military relationships, and fostering regional collaboration.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淢ultilateral defence relations are an important component of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 overall engagement in the Asia-Pacific region,B次元官网网址� Nethercott stated in an email to Black Press.

He added that North Korea, and its nuclear weapons development, was likely to be up for discussion, but was not a specific topic on the agenda.

A large security presence was in place for the three-day conference, and preparations had been going on for about a year.