Minister Pejanović Đurišić participates in ministerial meeting of Central European Defence Cooperation

Vienna, Austria (1 April 2016) -- Minister of Defence Milica Pejanović Đurišić participated in the meeting of defense ministers, which is held today in Vienna as part of initiative Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC).

The meeting was organised in order to review the current migrant crisis and finding a unified approach to its solution. Alongside of defence ministers of CEDC Initiative (Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia), the defence ministers of Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Poland also attended ministerial meeting.

Minister Pejanović Đjurišić, addressing the gathering, highlighted the importance and necessity of common action of all European countries with a view to a comprehensive resolution of this issue. She emphasised that this challenge must be viewed both through the prism of safety and security of the citizens of Europe, and through providing adequate humanitarian aid to those who really come from war-affected areas, which envisions a timely action of all actors on the migrant route. The Minister said that Montenegro, although not directly affected by the influx of migrants and refugees, is closely monitoring the situation and regularly exchanging information with partner countries and adapting its institutional mechanisms to be ready for the eventual arrival of refugees and migrants at its borders.

"It is significant that all, who are in any way affected by this crisis, be part of a joint solution, and that coordinated actions based on partnership can only go in favor of reducing and putting end to the illegal influx of migrants along the Balkan route, and preventing human trafficking and strengthening the security of all our citizens,"said Minister Pejanović Đurišić.

In order to contribute to solving the current migrant crisis, defence ministers attending the meeting welcomed the harmonisation and adoption of the "Declaration of solutions that strengthen the management of migrant crisis, with a special focus on the protection of the external borders of the European Union and humanitarian aid."