Conference: Emerging Security Challenges: Prospects for Energy Security in South-Eastern Europe
Ministry of Defence in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and co-organized by NATO’s Energy Security Section, Emerging Security Challenges Division is organizing an international conference entitled “Emerging Security Challenges: Prospects for Energy Security in South-Eastern Europe”, which will be held in Zagreb, on 26 and 27 May 2011, in Dubrovnik Hotel.
The main aim of the conference is to discuss the growing security challenges, particularly energy challenges and their impact on safety both in global terms and in the regional context. NATO devoted special attention to this topic which it confirmed in its latest Strategic Concept from November 2010, where it emphasized that all states are increasingly relying on the vital communications, transport and transit routes, on which depends international trade, energy security and overall prosperity. In this context, this fact implies the need for greater international efforts with regard to their protection against attack or interference.
Conference topics are grouped into three panels:
1. Global security challenges:
– Consequences of energy security for the security environment – resource scarcity, terrorism, piracy, cyber, non-proliferation, energy
2. Developments and perspectives for the energy sector. Fossil fuel, unconventional and renewable sources of energy
– the future of energy resources: more of the same or investing in new technologies and science
3. South East Europe’s approach to energy security. Regional vulnerabilities. Opportunities for multilateral cooperation.
– regional perspectives on energy priorities
– protection of critical energy infrastructure
About 70 participants from member countries of NATO and partner countries of NATO (member Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative) and national government bodies and representatives from Southeast Europe are expected to attend the conference.
You can view or download in .pdf format Conference Guide.
Activities marking the Day of the Croatian Armed Forces and the Day of the Army at the briefing were presented by the Deputy Chief of General Staff for Plans and Resources and Head of the Joint Headquarters for the organization of the event, Lieutenant General Slavko Baric, by the State Secretary in the Ministry of Family, Veterans’ Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity Zoran Komar, and by the State Secretary in the Ministry of Interior Miljenko Radnic.
The head of the Joint Headquarters Lieutenant General Slavko Baric said that the Armed Forces Day and the Day of the Army was celebrated every year on May 28, on the day when in 1991 was held a solemn line-up of National Guard (ZNG) at the stadium of “NK Zagreb” in Kranjceviceva Street, and when the Croatian public was presented with the first brigades of ZNG. “This year also a central ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the CAF formation will be held on Saturday, 28 May 2011, on stadium “NK Zagreb”, General Baric said. He recalled the process of the CAF transformation, which began in the years after the Homeland war, and on the decisions that preceded the Croatia’s accession to NATO. “In NATO Croatian Armed Forces are a serious factor for regional and global security in particular because at the moment CAF have been participating in NATO, EU and UN international missions”, General Baric said. He also pointed out that the Croatian Armed Forces were proud to mark the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Armed Forces. 14 echelons which include 5 echelons of war veterans who participated in the formation of the Croatian Armed Forces take part in the central ceremony in the Kranceviceva street. Besides Ministry of Defence and Croatian Armed Forces in organization the event are also included the Ministry of Family, Veterans’ Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity and the Ministry of Interior.
State secretaries in the Ministry of Family, Veterans’ Affairs and Intergenerational Solidarity and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zoran Komar and Miljenko Radnic pointed out that both ministries were pleased to participate in the organization of the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Croatian Armed Forces. “With proud we may say that for all the participants of the first National Guard line-up at the “NK Zagreb” Stadium in the Kranjceviceva Street, 20th anniversary of the formation of the Armed Forces is the ceremony of winners”, Secretary of State Zoran Komar said.