11.12.2023.
Assistant Minister Bandić attends CEDC + Defence Ministerial Meeting
Acting Assistant Minister for Defence Policy Predrag Bandić has attended the CEDC + V4 + Western Balkans Defence Ministerial Meeting held in Prague.
The meeting was attended by Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová, who hosted the meeting, defence ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as the representatives of other Central European Defence Cooperation member states and Western Balkan countries.
The meeting included the exchange of opinions about the activities carried out during the Czech presidency in 2023, and the topics discussed at the meeting included the current situation in Ukraine and the Middle East and its influence on the Central Europe and the Western Balkans.The meeting participants agreed that the Czech presidency had been successful, placing the emphasis on the activities carried out in the field of hybrid threats and the opportunities for funding through the European Peace Facility. According to the meeting participants, the current armed conflicts have a great impact on Europe, and an increase in the number of refugees and illegal migrants from conflict-affected areas can be expected in the coming period.
The meeting concluded that this meeting format was an excellent platform for improving regional security and defence cooperation with non-EU countries, and that it should be continued in the future. Also, support was expressed for the EU integration of the Western Balkans region.
In 2024, the presidency of the Central European Defence Cooperation will be held by Hungary, which presented its plans for the upcoming period.
