Comprehensive regional ministerial-CRM ended today in Budva

Comprehensive regional ministerial-CRM ended today in Budva

Minister of Defence prof. Milica Pejanović-Đurišić, PhD, addressing to the participants of Comprehensive Regional Ministerial, pointed out that CRM format, encompassing Western Balkans Defence Policy Directors (WBDPD) meeting, the US – Adriatic Charter (A-5) Defence Ministerial and the South-East Defence Ministerial which proved to be key defence event within the South-Eastern Europe, provides a unique opportunity for an open discussion on reducing unnecessary overlapping, ensuring coherence, streamlining structure, and improving functional methods. Thereby, the efforts are more efficiently joined in terms of strengthening regional cooperation. “As a constructive Partner, Montenegro particularly pointed out the fact that, in the current circumstances of unpredictable security challenges, the stability of Western Balkans and whole South-Eastern Europe can be only preserved by promoting regional cooperation and mutual trust, with a further intensification of Euro-Atlantic and European integrations”, said Minister Pejanović-Đurišić.                                                        

Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Đukanović pointed out that a multidimensional assessment of the security and other contemporary challenges in the region and globally, in various formats within this initiative, is of a great importance in the national framework as well. He estimated that the regional cooperation in all fields is a precondition for the development of each country in the region, and progress in the process of integration into the EU and NATO. Prime Minister Đukanović stressed that that Montenegro considers this initiative as a step towards lasting regional peace and stability.  He found that such meetings where regional dimension was promoted meant a new encouraging stimulus for the country which entered into the EU negotiations, and which was expecting invitation for NATO membership. “We share a common vision that integration into the EU and NATO is only certain guarantee for stability and better future for all our nation and the whole region”, said Prime Minister Đukanović.    

Minister of Defence of Albania and A-5 Chairman Mimi Kodeli acquainted the participants with the priorities harmonized on the A-5 meeting concerning the developing and promoting of regional cooperation, support the membership of the A-5 countries into NATO, alignment with the NATO initiatives and processes, possible common engagement in NATO-led operations, promotion of regional capabilities, enhancement of civil preparedness and resilience in civil emergency domain. Additionally, it was stressed the readiness for providing contribution to the new NATO- led mission in Afghanistan and possible future combined deployments. Minister Kodeli informed the participants that the ministers agreed on the need for closer cooperation and better coordinated activities and recalled the important decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Wales. “The Open Door Policy is the essence of the Charter and will continue to promote the integration of all countries of the region”, said Kodeli.  

Romanian Ministry of Defence State Secretary, and Chairman of SEDM Valeriu Nicut, informed the participants about the conclusions from SEDM and said that important steps have been taken for continuation of SEDM initiatives particularly through the adoption of common Budget and SEEBRIG Annual Plan for 2015, and that the duplication of the activities should be reduced to a minimum, and the ongoing projects would be further continued and adapted to the new security realities.  

Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Goran Svilanović pointed out the importance of RCC, as a key point of regional cooperation in preservation of stability in SEE. “I believe that this is the right time and place to reach mutual agreement and to use this comprehensive format for initiating a debate concerning relations between current regional initiatives within SEE and strategic and security needs of all participants in the region and to consider how to build synergy among them”, said Svilanović. Speaking about Comprehensive Ministerial Meeting, he stressed the significance of the outcomes of the discussions and suggested the establishing of Working Group which will prepare concrete proposals which should be undertaken in order to promote regional cooperation in the field of defence. “All our efforts are aimed at ensuring development of SEE and achieving the ultimate goal of all region countries, which is European and Euro-Atlantic integration”, said Svilanović.   

At the end of the meeting it was stressed the commitment to the further policy affirmation of the regional cooperation. Ministers agreed to continue to develop and improve good neighbourly relations, mutual trust contributing to the stability and prosperity of SEE. They agreed to explore new and further enhance the existing modalities of cooperation in the defence sector, in accordance with the Euro-Atlantic initiatives and processes, since this is the only way to ensure sustainable peace, stability and prosperity of our country.

Concerning the specifying of the defence cooperation and providing common responses to the global security challenges, there were initiated the possibilities of joint participation in international missions and operations, joint responses to the natural disasters and accidents. Also, in order to improve the capabilities of the armed forces, it was pointed out the importance of using existing regional training centres in different areas of security and defence.

On the margins of the meeting, Minister Pejanović Đurišić had bilateral meetings with the Ministers of Defence of the Republic of Turkey Ismet Yilmaz, Bosnia and Herzegovina Zekerijah Osmić and Macedonia Zoran Jolevski, Republic of Slovenia Janko Veber, as well as with the Director of RACVIAC Ambassador Branimir Mandić.