State Secretary Galić at the Meeting of the South Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) Forum

State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence Tomislav Galić attended the meeting of the South Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) on Thursday, 27 November 2025. The meeting took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The participants discussed the Russian aggression against Ukraine, one of the SEDM members. The members expressed strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

In his address, State Secretary Tomislav Galić expressed the support of the Republic of Croatia to Ukraine. He stressed that since the beginning of the Russian aggression, the Republic of Croatia has been actively providing military, humanitarian and other forms of assistance to Ukraine, and that it will continue to provide assistance.

On the margins of this meeting, State Secretary Tomislav Galić held bilateral talks with the Deputy Minister of National Defence of Turkey, Musa Heybet, and the First Deputy Minister of Defence of Georgia, Paat Patiashvili.

The South Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) is an initiative for regional cooperation in the field of defence and security launched in 1996. Its aim is to promote security dialogue and cooperation between the countries of South Eastern Europe, as well as to support the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans.

In addition to the Republic of Croatia, which has been a member since 2004, the members of SEDM are: the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Hellenic Republic, Georgia, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the United States of America, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Turkey and Ukraine.