Bucharest: Conference of Chiefs of Defense in the Balkans

Armies in the Balkan countries will intensify their cooperation in order to maintain stability and security in the region, with permanent support provided by NATO and the UN. In order to improve capacity to respond to various threats, including in the situation of humanitarian crises, Chiefs of Defense in the Balkan countries have decided to organize joint military applications annually. Decisions were taken on Wednesday in Bucharest during the 13th edition of the Conference of Chiefs of Defense in the Balkan countries, on military cooperation issues.

RRA Reporter Radu Dobriţoiu: Defense chiefs from the Balkans have decided to improve their level of interoperability through better exchange of information, but also through military applications. Each year, a regional exercise will be organized, hosted by each country in the Balkans, in order to improve capacity to respond to different threats, including in the case of humanitarian crises.

In a statement at the end of the conference, Romanian Chief of Defense, General Nicolae Ciucă, referred to the main threats to regional security and stability.

General Nicolae Ciucă: The spectrum of challenges and threats ranges from aggressive actions, in complete disrespect for international law, to spread of terrorism at a global level and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Increased competition for strategic resources and related transportation routes, along with increasing asymmetrical threats, have reached extreme value.

RRA Reporter: As NATO Military Committee Chairman, General Stuart Peach, stressed, NATO will continue to support stability missions in the Balkans and will sustain enhancing responsiveness of the countries in the region.

General Stuart Peach thanked Romania for its contribution to regional stability, as an important ally of the North Atlantic Alliance:

General Stuart Peach: "Stability and security cannot be maintained by isolation ... They must be viewed as part of global international security. That is why conferences on these issues are very important. This year Romania celebrates 15 years since it is part of NATO. Romania contributes to the Euro-Atlantic security at different levels and at different places. In the Western Balkans, nearby, your forces contribute to ensuring a safe environment within the Kosovo mission that the Alliance has taken over from the United Nations. In Afghanistan, hundreds of Romanian military participate in actions to stabilize the country ... an important mission. In Poland, the Romanian troops are part of a NATO multinational combat group. Here in Romania you host the ballistic missile defense base ... NATO is a defensive alliance ... You also have an essential role in maintaining security in the Black Sea. Romania also leads the NATO brigade in Craiova".

General Stuart Peach also mentioned the contribution Romania will have within NATO's leadership, where next month, Mircea Geoană will take over the duties of the NATO Deputy Secretary General.

Conference has been attended by delegations from nine countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey - and as observers, delegations from Croatia and Slovenia.

Special guests were Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Lieutenant General Omer Lavoie, Deputy Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Lieutenant General Carlos Humberto Loitey, UN Military Advisor for Peacekeeping Operations, and Brigadier General Fernando Paglialunga (Italy), representative of the European Union.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei