11.06.2014.

Meeting of Deputy Heads of the General Staffs in the course of the SEDM Initiative

Састанак заменика начелника генералштабова у оквиру иницијативе SEDM

Meeting of Deputy Heads of the General Staffs in the course of the SEDM Initiative (South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial Process) has begun today at the Metropol Hotel in Belgrade.

The gathering was opened by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Zoran Djordjevic, and the meeting will also be attended by Lieutenant General Jovica Draganic, Deputy Head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Serbia.

On that occasion, State Secretary Djordjevic pointed out that this initiative started in 1996, that Serbia has been a part of it since October 2009 and that it is its host this year.

- Recent events in Serbia, the floods that had hit our country have shown that we do share same security risks and that such initiatives, conferences and cooperations have great significance, for Serbia and for all the countries in the region – State Secretary Djordjevic stressed, explaining that this meeting will show that we are all working on the same goal, which is security, and that it is the only way to establish peace in the future.

According to State Secretary of the Romanian Defence Ministry Valerij Nikut, the agenda of this year’s meeting of the initiative, which is one of the more comprehensive in the region, is very ambitious, and Romania has taken the chairing position from Italy this year.

- Today, representatives of military power in 15 states, as well as high representatives from the international organizations UN and NATO, gathered here for joint talks on issues of mutual interest and great importance for the political-military cooperation in the region – State Secretary Nikut pointed out, adding that, during the Romania’s chairing, the emphasis will be given to improving efficiency and transparency of the SEDM Initiative, as well as to the operational part of the Initiative, to the Southeastern Brigade. He also stated the significance of strengthening regional cooperation, recognizing its vast contribution in transformation of the Southeastern Europe, first and foremost to its safety structures and complexes.

This is a meeting whose participants are delegations of 14 countries – members of the SEDM Initiative (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, USA, Slovenia, Serbia, Ukraine, Croatia and Montenegro), delegation of Georgia as a spectating country and delegations of international organizations.

The Initiative was started in 1996, in Tirana, with the intention of strengthening cooperation between the Southeastern European countries and USA. The main goal of the cooperation between defence ministers of Southeastern Europe is intensifying understanding and political-military cooperation in the region, in order to strengthen stability and security in that part of the old continent.