JOINT STATEMENT

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE DEFENCE MINISTERIAL (SEDM)

DEPUTY CHIEFS OF DEFENCE (DCHODs) MEETING

(JUNE 08, 2010 – LJUBLJANA-SLOVENIA)

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff of SEDM countries:

-Rear Admiral Kristaq GERVENI,

-General Major Rizvo PLEH,

-ViceAdmiral MinkoKAVALDZHIEV,

-Lieutenant General Slavko BARIĆ,

-Major General Naser SEJDINI,

-Lieutenant GeneralSampatis XIFARAS represented by

Rear Admiral KonstantinosYFANTIS,

-Lieutenant General Domenico VILLANIrepresented by

Lieutenant GeneralAlessandro MONTUORI,

-Brigadier General Branimir FURLAN

-General Aslan GÜNER, represented by

Major General Kenan KOÇAK,

-Lieutenant General Volodymyr ARTIUKH,

convened in Ljubljana on June 08, 2010 together withthe Deputy Chief of Montenegro Armed Forces Major General Dragan MILOSAVLJEVIĆ and the Deputy Chief of Serbian Armed Forces General Staff Lieutenant General Mladen ĆIRKOVIĆ - both countries are officially invited to be full-fledged members of SEDM; and the Deputy Chief of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed ForcesColonel Arsen TSUKHISHVILI, with observer status, to take further steps in strengthening cooperation and enhancing stability, security and prosperity in South-Eastern Europe.

The Minister of Defence Mrs. Ljubica JELUŠIČ, PhD,welcomed the presence of the new Chairperson of the SEDM CC&PMSC Mrs. Avgustina TZVETKOVA(Deputy Minister of Defence of Bulgaria),the Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff of SEDM countries, Brigadier General Zyber DUSHKU –COMSEEBRIG, Major GeneralWilliam H. WADE II representing NATO Joint Forces Command (JFC) Naples and Colonel Tim SUGHRUE, Director of the Situation Centre at JFC Brunssum, Ambassador Nikola TODORČEVSKI, Director of RACVIAC, Brigadier Kenan DAUTOVIĆ, Commander of the Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSOTC) and Mr. Efrem RADEV, Head of Security Cooperation from the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff welcomed the speech of the PMSC and SEDM-CC Chairperson,Mrs. Avgustina TZVETKOVA. In her opening address she welcomed all participants, declared her intention to continue working on the implementation of the Bulgarian Chairmanship priority goals, emphasized the need to continue the process of the SEDM transformation and stressed the need to enhance the SEEBRIG operational capabilities.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff expressed their gratitude to Mrs. Radica A. GAREVA, PhD,previous PMSC and SEDM-CC Chairperson and to Brigadier General Virgil BÃLÃCEANU, previous COMSEEBRIG,and acknowledged their successful work in the SEDM process and SEEBRIG activities during the period of 2008/2009, emphasizing their commitment to strengthening and enhancing the SEDM process.

Additionally, the Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff expressed their gratitude to Mr.Anyu Angelov(ret. Lt. Gen.),previous PMSC and SEDM-CC Chairperson and acknowledged his successful work in SEDM process during the period of 2009/2010.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff also welcomed the COMSEEBRIG, Brigadier General Zyber DUSHKU and acknowledged his worthy contribution to the SEDM process and SEEBRIG activities during the last year.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff praised the briefing of the SEDM-CC and PMSC Secretariat on the SEDM-CC and PMSC activities since the 2008 DCHODs Meeting.

Representatives ofSEDM-CC and PMSC Secretariat introduced the 2009-2010 priorities of the Chair Country:

strengthening the role of SEDM as a key forum for cooperation and dialogueon regional security issues;

adapting the SEDM Process to the requirements of the ever-changing security environment in the region and worldwide;

emphasis on the need to further evaluate possible SEEBRIG engagement in UN or OSCE mandated, NATO-led or EU-led PSOs, or crisis response/disaster relief operations;

provision of optimum opportunities to further developSEDM projects

avoiding duplication, overlapping and competition;

encouraging SEDM observers nations’ aspirations for full membership and enlargement.

Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff welcomed the invitation of Montenegro and Serbia to become full-fledged members of SEDM.

Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff also welcomed the invitation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the initiative as an observer country to the PMSC.

Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff emphasized the importance of the “5th Additional Protocol to the MPFSEE Agreement” and the “Agreementonthe Coordination Committee in the framework of the SEDM Process”signed by the ministers during the SEDM ministerial meeting in Sofia 2009.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff commended the excellent work of the SEDM nations, HQ SEEBRIG and the SEDM-CC and PMSC Secretariat on the execution of the projects and exercises. They fully supported the ministerial decision to avoid overlapping and duplication with other regional initiatives and activities.

The MPFSEE Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff expressed their appreciation for the PMSC decision to establish a High Level Expert Meeting on the SEEBRIG to identify the Brigade’s future operational capabilities.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff welcomed the briefing delivered by COMSEEBRIG Brigadier General Zyber Dushku on the HQ SEEBRIG activities since the last DCHODs Meeting and the presentation on a possible SEEBRIG deployment in PSO.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff welcomed thecomprehensive HQ SEEBRIG study on SEEBRIG capabilities as a good basis for the forthcoming High Level Expert Meeting in Sofia on 22nd June 2010.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff acknowledged the participation of HQ SEEBRIG in many regional exercises and NATO-led exercises within the existing and agreed missions, thus enhancing the operational capabilities of the personnel.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff highly appreciated all HQ SEEBRIG evaluation visits to the assigned units as a very important tool to become acquainted with the real conditions and capabilities of the SEEBRIG.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff welcomed the endeavoursof JFC Naples and JFC Brunssum and emphasized their contributionsin ongoing NATO operations, and their support to both NATO and EU-led operationsgiven the importance of preserving and consolidating peace and stability.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff once again agreed that the enlargement of NATO successfully brings new contributors to NATO’s efforts, as well as project security and stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic area, and supportthe necessity of NATO’sOpen Door Policy.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff expresses that in the context of SEDM process, SEDM projects and SEEBRIG study are an example of contribution to cooperation improvement as well as efficiency of integration acting within member countries and beyond regional borders.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff highlighted the importance of the SEEBRIG Capabilities Study and the forthcoming meeting of the HLEG on SEEBRIG Future, as a new idea on how to modify SEEBRIG`s capabilities for an adequate response to the existing and agreed missions.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staffs welcomed the efforts of the Peace Support Operations Training Centre (PSOTC) in Bosnia and Herzegovina on developing its capabilities to conduct various courses and seminars with military personnel from Bosnia and Herzegovina and international Junior and Higher Officers and NCOs.

All Deputy Chief of Defence/General Staffs extended their support to the Regional Cooperation Council’s efforts in streamlining South Eastern Europe Regional organization and initiatives activities.

All Deputy Chief of Defence/General Staffs appreciated the Slovenian Army Forces plan to provide assistance to the PfP countries in Western Balkansand all the necessary support to the new NATO members integration process.

Departing from the newly signed agreement of eight SEE countries, RACVIAC express its readiness to continue fruitful cooperation with SEDM in all the fields of common interest.

Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff expressed their gratitude to Deputy Chief of Turkish General Staff for the Turkish offer to host the 2011 DCHOD meeting.

All participants expressed their gratitude to the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Brigadier General Branimir Furlan and the Slovenian MoD Representatives for hosting the meeting and for their warm hospitality.

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