SEECP – Joint statement by Ministers of Defence

We, the defence ministers of the participating countries of Southeast Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP): Minister Arben Imami, Minister Selmo Cikotic Minister Davor Bozinovic, Minister Zoran Konjanovski, Minister Boro Vucinic, Minister Dragan Sutanovac, Minister Mehmed Vekdi Gonul, Assistant Minister Augustina Tzvetkova, Deputy Minister Panos Beglitis, Secretary of State Viorel Oancea, Secretary of State Boris Balant, have met in Budva, on 14 and 15 March 2011, in order to continue the discussion on the future regional cooperation on security, that began under the previous meetings in Sarajevo in 2004, Bucharest in 2005 and Sofia in 2008.

With great pleasure we welcome the participation of Ambassador Hussein Dirioz, Assistant of Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning at NATO headquarters, Ambassador Sarunas Adomavicius, Head of OSCE Mission in Montenegro, RCC Secretary of State Hido Biscevic, Ambassador Nikola Todorcevski, RACVIAC Director – Center for Security Cooperation , accredited ambassadors of the SEECP countries in Montenegro and military attaches in Montenegro.

We note that we are truly concerned about the conflict in Libya and strongly condemn the violence, the disproportionate use of force and indiscriminate attacks on civilians that could escalate into civil war. We call for the immediate implementation of Resolution 1970 (2011) of the UN Security Council.

Once again we confirm the importance of stability, strengthening of democratic institutions and European and Euro-Atlantic policy in the region, and we agree that broader and deeper cooperation with international partners and institutions is necessary to develop and implement sustainable solutions, and promote peace, stability and prosperity.

With pleasure we state that there had been a number of positive developments in SEE in terms of consolidation of stability, prosperity, good-neighbourly relations, regional cooperation and integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. Therefore, we have been encouraged with the continued policy of “open door” policy applied by the EU and NATO, as well as with their active support of European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations in the region.

This policy increases the security of the SEECP countries and provides new opportunities for contribution to stability in the region and beyond. We also welcome the commitment to further strengthening of the EAPC / PfP as an important framework for independent political dialogue and practical cooperation, including enhanced military interoperability.

We support the progress made by the MAP (Membership Action Plan) countries in fulfilling the criteria for NATO membership, as well as their contribution to security in the region and beyond, including participation in the ISAF mission. We express hope that the North Atlantic Alliance will send invitations to join the Alliance to the remaining candidates as soon as they reach common acceptable solutions.

We support the continued intensive involvement in the EU and NATO with the overall process of transformation in South Eastern Europe with emphasis on the area of ​​defence. We also confirm that the further progress of each country towards the EU and NATO depends on their individual merits.

We underline the importance of further exchanges of experience and cooperation among countries of South Eastern Europe on issues related to transformation of defence sector, bearing in mind that this carries with it social and economic consequences. This is more than the demand for spending cuts in defence and requires major changes in defence policy, management and practice. There are, however, lessons to be learned from similar experiences in the region.

We are dedicated to conventional arms control, ensuring predictability and transparency. We will work to strengthen the control regime of conventional arms in Europe on the basis of reciprocity, transparency and consent of the host country. We welcome the intention expressed on the Lisbon Summit to set up a committee for advising on the control of weapons of mass destruction and disarmament.

We emphasize the importance of the Council for Regional Cooperation as the successor of the Stability Pact in strengthening the regional cooperation and in support of stability, democracy and development in Southeast Europe. Regional Council for Cooperation provides the SEECP with operational capacities and acts as a forum for continued involvement of those members of the international donor community engaged in the region. Several initiatives and operational groups successfully operate in Southeast Europe, mainly RACVIAC, Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons in South Eastern Europe (SEESAC) and the Initiative for Preparedness and Prevention (DPPI) in order to better coordinate and improve activities to better respond to the needs of the region.

We are pleased with the results achieved by the RACVIAC. We also support it in activities related to the environment of security cooperation, with emphasis on arms control, reform of the security and international relations and cooperation with special emphasis on the Euro-Atlantic integrations.

Safety and stability require the coordinated application of economic, political and military means. Within the options for providing security, we firmly believe that for the South-East Europe there are important roles of the SEDM and SEEBRIG.

We encourage further development of initiatives for disaster prevention and preparedness for effective regional mechanisms for consultation and coordination of efforts in this area. One of the main tasks of the DPPI SEE is that participants adopt policy strategies that are consistent with one another, and coordinate existing and new initiatives in the region.

Considering that dialogue is an important mechanism in dealing with challenges in the region, we welcome the dialogue between the sides that enhances the process of contributing to peace and stability in the region, reiterating that the EU and Euro-Atlantic perspective is the future of South Eastern Europe. We express our readiness to continue to encourage this dialogue to promote cooperation, to assist in achieving progress towards the European Union and improve people’s lives.

We support a significant contribution to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan by the member countries of the SEECP, and that all additional contributions are welcomed. Therefore, we affirm our long-term commitment to a stable Afghanistan in a stable region.

Recognizing that the existence of surplus weapons is still an outstanding issue in Southeast Europe, we are committed to finding a regional approach to solving this problem in cooperation with international organizations and donor countries.
We thank Montenegro as the SEECP Presidency for the excellent organization of this meeting.