On the 20th of September 2022, the  47^th SEDM Coordination Committee (CC) and the 48^th Political-Military Steering Committee (PMSC) meetings took place in Sofia, Bulgaria. The events were hosted by Sofia for the third time within the framework of the Sofia SEDM Chairmanship for the period 2021-2023.

Representatives of 13 of the SEDM member-states, the Commander of SEEBRIG and other officers from SEEBRIG HQ, and delegates from international organizations, such as RACVIAC and UNDP/ SEESAC participated in the events. The representatives of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and NATO Building integrity participated in the meetings virtually.

Within the framework of the working sessions the attendees discussed the progress achieved so far and the way ahead. The SEDM Secretariat and COMSEEBRIG presented an update of the activities and results achieved since the last CC/PMSC meeting in March 2022. Advance information on the upcoming Ministerial meeting in Sofia was also provided.

The SEDM Deputy Chiefs of Defence Annual Meeting was held on 14th of June 2022, at Brdo Gongress Centre near Kran, Slovenia. The organization and hosting activities were carried out by the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces in close cooperation with Sofia SEDM Secretariat.

Deputy Chiefs of Defence and their representatives from the SEDM Process, the South East Europe Multinational Brigade Headquarters (SEEBRIG), the Centre for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP/SEESAC) participated.

The Meeting was opened with a video-address by the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Chair of PMSC/SEDM-CC Mr Yordan BOZHILOV, after which the meeting was chaired by the Director of the SEDM Secretariat Ms Daniela Grigorova.

The participants discussed the progress achieved and the possibilities for further development of the SEDM, as well as other issues of regional cooperation in the field of security and defence. The SEDM Secretariat and the South East Europe Multinational Brigade (SEEBRIG) made presentations on the activities implemented since the previous meeting of the Deputy Chiefs of Defence of the SEDM Process.

At the end of the meeting, the participants adopted a Joint statement. It was agreed that the next meeting in this format, will take place in mid-2023 in Rome, Italy.

The Joint statement is available by clicking here.

The 16th Interconnection of Military Hospitals (IMIHO) Users’ Meeting took place virtually on 18th May 2022, organized by Athens and executed via VTC, chaired by IMIHO Chairman, LtCol Theodoros Valsamidis.

Mrs Daniela GRIGOROVA, SEDM Director opened the Meeting by emphasizing the importance of the Project and expressed his appreciation for tangible results and outputs, achieved so far, at no cost to nations.
An IMIHO Awards Ceremony took place to honor individuals who distinguished themselves by providing valuable support and assistance to the activities of the Project.

A Webinar on “IMIHO as a Platform for Military Humanitarian Medical Applications”, featuring an extensive program, composed of diverse and informational presentations on topics of common interest, moderated by the IMIHO Chairman. During the session, Nations presented information pertaining to the contribution and outcomes of Military Health Care Personnel during peace-keeping and humanitarian missions. Information will be included in the Military Medical Archive. Presentation recordings and slides will be published to the IMIHO Portal.

The 34th IMIHO Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting took place virtually on 17 May 202. During the event, the IMIHO Chairman elaborated on the significant progress and tangible outcomes achieved, as well as the planned way-ahead. A fruitful dialog produced several action items of common interest and benefits. Specific actions were decided, aiming at further enriching the IMIHO Portal, enhancing functions and services offered at no cost to users, including subprojects, webinars and online medical training, both theoretical and practical. Furthermore, a first version "Online Medical Services" portal was presented, based on the proposal authorized by the SEDM Ministers. A proof of concept implementation focuses on psychological support of active and retired personnel, as well as their families, by utilizing open source software and video-teleconferece technologies. The services will be developed and provided at no cost to nations and eligible personnel. 

We hope that these multinational activities will bring the national health care communities closer, provide an online medium for information and expertise exchange, while conducting training, fostering scientific and academic collaboration among professionals of the Health Care Institutions, serving Military personnel. Finally, it is our hope that the Webinar and future activities will help towards bringing soon an end to the ongoing pandemic situation.

The Chairman expressed his appreciation for the invaluable support of SEDM-CC/PMSC Director and Secretariat, as well as all Presenters and Participants for their attendance. 

More information and recorded material will be available at the IMIHO Portal soon.

An official ceremony for the handover and takeover of the post of Commander of the Multinational Brigade "South-Eastern Europe" (SEEBRIG) was held on 15 April, in Skopje. The outgoing Brigade Commander, Major General Aristeidis Iliopoulos, handed over command to his successor, Brigadier General Evangelos Mitroutsikos.

The Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria Mr. Yordan Bozhilov participated in the ceremony in his capacity of Chairman of the SEDM Process. He addressed words of gratitude to the outgoing Commander of the Brigade, Major General Iliopoulos, underlining his significant contribution to the activity and development of the Brigade over the past years. On behalf of the SEDM Chairmanship, Yordan Bozhilov presented him with the SEEBRIG Meritorious Service Medal and a letter of appreciation. In his speech, he also addressed the newly appointed Brigade Commander, General Mitroutsikos, expressing his confidence that he will continue to build on and develop the achievements of the previous Commander. He wished him good luck and success in his highly responsible duty.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Deputy Ministers of Defence, Deputy Chiefs of Defence and representatives of the Ministries of Defence of the MPFSEE member states - Republic of Albania, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Greece, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania and Republic of Turkey.  The event was also attended by the Chief of Defence of the Republic of North Macedonia, Lieutenant General Vasko Gjurchinovski, and representatives of the senior military and government leadership of the host country,  Ambassadors and military attachés of the MPFSEE member states accredited to Skopje.

The 47th meeting of the Political-Military Steering Committee (PMSC) of the Multinational Peace Force South-Eastern Europe (MPFSEE) and the 46th meeting of the Coordination Committee of SEDM (SEDM-CC) were held on the 16th of March 2022 in the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria. Due to the current pandemic and the imposed restrictions the sessions were conducted via Video-teleconference.

The conference was presided by the SEDM-CC/ PMSC Chairman and Deputy Minister of Defence Mr. Yordan Bozhilov. The Bulgarian delegation included Ms. Daniela Grigorova – Director of SEDM-CC/ PMSC Secretariat and experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Defence Policy and Planning” Directorate of Ministry of Defence and the members of the SEDM Secretariat.

During the sessions the discussions were focused on the progress made and the possibilities for further development of SEDM, as well as current issues concerning the regional cooperation in the field of security and defence. The participants were briefed on the activities of the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) by the Commander of the Brigade and updated on the latest developments of SEDM related projects such as “Female Leaders in Security and Defence” (FLSD) and “Interconnection of Military Hospitals” (IMIHO). Additionally, the details for the DCHOD meeting in Ljubljana, SEESIM22 and the SEDM Ministerial in Sofia were presented by the Host nations.

Sofia proposed a text for a joint statement of the SEDM Ministers of Defence concerning the current situation in Ukraine. The statement is to be approved after each SEDM member state reviews it. In the course of the debate on the issues the participants expressed their principal approval and condemned the Russian aggression.

Sofia has taken the rotational SEDM chairmanship for a period of two years (2021-2023). The SEDM Process was initiated in 1996 as a mechanism for improving the regional security and is one of the most important forums in the field of regional security and cooperation. Sofia has always been an active participant in SEDM Initiative as this is its second term as chairing state, the first term was accomplished in the period 2009-2011 and the nation was the first host of SEEBRIG, for the period 1999-2003.

The 15th Interconnection of Military Hospitals (IMIHO) Users’ Meeting took place virtually on 8th December 2021, organized by Bucharest and executed via VTC.

Ms Daniela GRIGOROVA, SEDM Director opened the Meeting by emphasizing the importance of the Project and expressed his appreciation for tangible results and outputs, achieved so far, at no cost to nations.
An IMIHO Awards Ceremony took place to honor individuals who distinguished themselves by providing valuable support and assistance to the activities of the Project.

A Webinar on “IMIHO as an online multinational Research Collaboration Platform”, featuring an extensive program, composed of diverse and informational presentations on topics of common interest, moderated by the IMIHO Chairman. During the session, Nations proposed ideas on medical research topics, associated -directly or indirectly- with Military Medicine, with the purpose to identify research areas of common interest for future collaboration.  Nations proposed specific  research topics that will be distributed for further action. Presentation recordings and slides will be published to the IMIHO Portal.

The 33rd IMIHO Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting took place virtually on 7 December 2021. During the event, the IMIHO Chairman elaborated on the significant progress and tangible outcomes achieved, as well as the planned way-ahead. A fruitful dialog produced several action items of common interest and benefits. Specific actions were decided, aiming at further enriching the IMIHO Portal, enhancing functions and services offered at no cost to users, including subprojects, webinars and online medical training, both theoretical and practical. Finally, preliminary planning took place pertaining to the "Establishment of Online Medical Services" Subproject, recently authorized by the SEDM Ministers. Finally, a post-deployment briefing on the new version (2) of the IMIHO Portal was presented.

We hope that these multinational activities will bring the national health care communities closer, provide an online medium for information and expertise exchange, while conducting training, fostering scientific and academic collaboration among professionals of the Health Care Institutions, serving Military personnel. Finally, it is our hope that the Webinar and future activities will help towards bringing soon an end to the ongoing pandemic situation.

The Chairman expressed his appreciation for the invaluable support of SEDM-CC/PMSC Director and Secretariat, to Bucharest personnel for their efforts to organize this event as well as all Presenters and Participants for their attendance.

More information and recorded material will be available at the IMIHO Portal soon.

The annual South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) meeting was held in person on the 4th of November in Skopje.Representatives of the SEDM Nations, SEEBRIG HQ and representatives of UNDP/SEESAC, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), RACVIAC and European Union participated. The meeting was presided by the SEDM Chairman Mr. Plamen YORDANOV, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman stressed on the importance of the Ministerial meeting as the forum for high-level officials to discuss current regional security issues and concerns. Moreover, Mr. YORDANOV expressed his confidence in the future of the process and its consolidation as one of the most important regional mechanisms for cooperation and highlighted that such events contribute to the regional security and stability based on the principle “ It’s much better to know each other, before we need each other”.

Ms. Radmila SHEKERINSKA, Minister of Defence of the Republic of North Macedonia, gave a key note speech, in which she addressed the immediate challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the looming threats such as climate change, disinformation and the digitization of conflicts and crises. Furthermore, she underlined that cooperation and partnership are essential for the nations in order to thrive and be resilient.

Following the update on the latest developments on SEDM-CC projects and PMSC activities, given by Mr. YORDANOV, the Commander of the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) Brigadier General Aristeidis ILIOPOULOS reviewed the Brigade’s activities since the last SEDM Ministerial meeting in 2020 and presented the documents to be approved by the MPFSEE Nations.

During the meeting, the SEDM nations’ Ministers and their representatives expressed their national views and commitment to the SEDM Process, thus contributing to the importance of the Initiative as acrucial format for regional cooperation.

In the closing remarks the SEDM Chairman congratulated Ms. Radmila SHEKERINSKA for the successful organization of the Ministerial in these unprecedented circumstances.

The full joint statement is available here.

Military Experts Meeting on Gender

 “Defence and National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions:

where we are and future commitments”

26 and 27 October 2021

Rome, as host nation of Female Leaders in Security and Defence (FLSD) Project, organized the International Conference “Defence and National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions: where we are and future commitments”on Tuesday and Wednesday, 26-27 October 2021.

The aims of the event were:

- To reaffirm national commitment to the FLSD project;

- The full implementation of the UNSCR 1325 and related resolutions; and

- To compare similar approaches, activities and areas of interest included in the National Action Plans, in order to explore the possibility to develop future joint activities.

The event, conducted through the SEDM videoconference system, took place under the auspices of the Process of Meetings of Defence Ministers of Southeast Europe (SEDM) and was part of the set of actions undertaken by Rome as a nation interested in organizing international conferences dedicated to the promotion of gender perspective and gender equality.

The Chief of the Training Office of the 1st Department of the Defence Staff, who opened the Conference, stated “The workshop will focus on equal opportunities and gender perspective within military organizations and operations, and, in particular, on the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and CIMIC activities.”

He added “We are all aware of this: gender inequalities undermine durable peace and stability. This also occurs because post-war management and the restoration of peace and security are phases where the roles played by women does not always entail overcoming marginalization. Yet, those phases could provide a fruitful opportunity to involve more widely the female population in the negotiations and political dynamics generated by the cease-fire and the cessation of hostilities. For example, extending the right to vote to women or including female representation in formal or informal assemblies.”

The conference was attended by experts from SEDM Members:Sofia, Tbilisi, Athens, Rome, Podgorica, Skopje, Bucharest, Belgrade, Kyiv, Representatives from United Nations Development Programme South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (UNDP SEESAC),Centre for Security Cooperation in South Eastern Europe (RACVIAC), South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG), South-East Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM).

The workshop focused on equal opportunities and gender perspective within military organizations and operations and, in particular, on the National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security and CIMIC activities.

During the two-day conference, participants shared the status of equal opportunity and gender perspective in their respective domains and suggested future developments on common interests.

One of the key message was that National Armed Forces need to be more and more aware of the fact that the system resting upon the cornerstone of Resolution 1325 is not an ideal to-do-list but a true manifesto for equality and a call to include gender perspective into military operations. The success of those operations is linked to the concern for female communities, which are often the victims most affected by conflicts, and to their inclusion in the reconstruction process, in which female soldiers can often provide a unique contribution.

From a military point of view, the Resolution 1325 has entailed the inclusion of gender perspective in the planning process, along with the developing a doctrine and a series of ad-hoc training activities, in addition to the creation of a specific professional figure within Staffs, namely the Gender Advisor.

Gender perspective finds application not only in the operational context but also in the organizational context.

In fact, the presence of military personnel of both genders, male and female, has required military organizations to change their approach to human resource management in regards to the internal aspect, that is to say the well-being of staff, and to the employment aspect, namely managing servicemen and servicewomen deployed in operations abroad.

In the internal management of the organization, subjects such as motherhood and, more generally, parenting and family care should be considered. More attention should be paid to how those are differently perceived according to one’s gender.

Those fields are relatively new for the military and they represent useful tools to improve our armed forces. For this reason, it is fundamental to understand them and to consider themin the activities we carry out.

During the conference, speakers from FLSD Countries presented their national experiences and shared best practices in each respective domain. It was a further step taken on a pathway that see us constantly committed in the shared project to disseminate, in the most effective manner, gender perspective and equality between men and women within the military organizations of the participating countries.

The conference was a great opportunity to confirm, at international level, the importance of gender perspective and UNSCRs on Women, Peace and Security in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, in the promotion of peace and security, as well as in the political and military decision-making process.

On the 15th and the 16th of September 2021, were held respectively the 46th PMSC and the 45th SEDM-CC Meetings in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The recent developments and the way ahead for SEEBRIG and the SEDM Process were discussed within the margins of the meetings. The leading nations provided updates on the various SEDM projects. The participating international organizations expressed their content and willingness for further collaboration with the Initiative.  Topical security and defense issues at a regional scale as well the perspectives for enhancing the regional cooperation were also discussed in details.

The meetings were headed by the chairman of the SEDM Process, Deputy Minister of Defence Mr. Plamen Yordanov.

Due to the COVID restrictions the meetings were held in a hybrid mode, in which attendants participated both physically and virtually.

On the 26th of August 2021 in Kumanovo, North Macedonia, the current location of SEEBRIG HQ, an official SEDM event took place. On that date was celebrated the 22nd anniversary from the establishment of SEEBRIG and the formal SEDM Chairmanship handover-takeover ceremony. After a productive two year term Tirana handed-over the rotational SEDM Chairmanship to Sofia.

The Deputy Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Dimitar Iliev, on behalf of Sofia Chairmanship, presented plaques and memorabilia to the outgoing Tirana Secretariat and the head of the delegation Deputy Minister of Defence Ms. Dallendyshe Bici.

Mrs. Radmila Shekerinska-Jankovska Minister of Defence of RNM, Ms. Dallendyshe Bici Deputy Minister of Defence of Albania, Lieutenant General Dimitar Iliev Deputy Chief of Defence of the Bulgarian Armed forces and Brigadier General Aristeidis Iliopoulos SEEBRIG Commander delivered speeches during the ceremony. The officials highlighted in their speeches the importance of the initiative for maintaining the peace and stability in the region, establishing working solutions for the common challenges and the member states’ contribution to the cooperation in the region.

Sofia took over the SEDM Chairmanship on the 1st of July 2021, for a second time since the establishment of the Initiative.

On the 1st of July 2021, Sofia took over the rotational chairmanship of the South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial Process (SEDM) for the period 2021-2023. On the occasion of the present Chairmanship the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria opened an exhibition. This exhibition in a retrospective highlights the contribution of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Defence to the SEDM process. It also captures important moments from the previous Sofia Chairmanship term in 2009, as well as the active participation of the political and military leadership in different SEDM activities that are an integral part of this important for the regional security format.

From July 1, 2021, Bulgaria takes over the rotating chairmanship of the Southeast European Defense Ministers' Meeting (SEDM) process. Over the next two years, the Ministry of Defense will coordinate and organize activities within the framework of the multinational regional initiative.A  Secretariat within Bilateral and Regional Cooperation Department has been established to fulfill the commitments.

During the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Defense Minister Plamen YORDANOV, who will serve as Chairman of the Process, wished successful and fruitful work in implementing the upcoming tasks.

Bulgaria is an active participant in this forum and is chairing the Process for the second time, as the first term was fulfilled in the period 2009-2011. The official HO – TO ceremony will take place in Kumanovo(Republic of Northern Macedonia) at the end of August, when the 22nd anniversary of the Southeast Europe Brigade will be marked.

On 15 June 2021, the Delegation of SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat, led by the Director of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat, Mr. Gjergji METHOXHA, visited SEEBRIG HQ in Camp “Boro Menkov” in Kumanovo, North Macedonia.

During the visit, the SEDM Secretariat had an Office Call with the Commander of SEEBRIG HQ, Brigadier General Aristeidis ILIOPOULOS. The focus of discussions was about SEEBRIG’s main current activities and the scheduled future activities, respectively the Official Ceremonies of the Hand Over – Take Over of South-East Europe Defense Ministerial Coordination Committee/ Political-Military Steering Committee (SEDM-CC/PMSC) Chairmanship and of the 22th SEEBRIG Anniversary, which will be held on 26th August 2021, in Kumanovo, North Macedonia.

The Delegation had a Tour in the working areas of SEEBRIG HQ to get insights on the Brigade’s daily battle rhythm, procedures and functions. They visited SEEBRIG HQ Tactical Operations Center, physical training facilities and other facilities of the Brigade.

The Director of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat, Mr. Gjergji METHOXHA expressed his appreciation to the Commander of SEEBRIG HQ, Brigadier General Aristeidis ILIOPOULOS and his team at SEEBRIG Headquarters for their tireless efforts to provide the most qualified and professional standards to all of our activities and for their immense efforts and splendid work to further the success story of SEEBRIG.

From 1st of July 2021, Bulgaria will take over the Chairmanship of the South-Eastern Defense Ministerial Initiative for a two-year period (2021-2023).

In connection with these preparations for the Hand Over of the duties and responsibilities of the SEDM Chairmanship, the Secretariat of SEDM Chairmanship, held by Albania during 2019-2021, visited Sofia on 15-18 June 2021. The Albanian delegation was led by the Director of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat, Mr. Gjergji METHOXHA.

The purpose of this visit was to conduct the HO-TO Coordination Meeting among two Secretariats, focusing the discussions on SEDM Meetings procedural details of chairing the SEDM Secretariat and on SEDM Secretariat’s priorities, work and accomplishments, as well as discussions on SEDM Secretariat HO-TO Ceremony in Kumanovo/North Macedonia and the Handover to the incoming Bulgarian Chairmanship of the SEDM Archive (Hard Copy – Electronic), Secretariat Materials (Flags, Stamps, Logos) and Use of Portal/E-mail Services.

The Hand Over-Take Over Coordination Meeting of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat conducted in Sofia without any doubt was a completion of a successful Meeting, which was made possible thanks to the excellent cooperation and support by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The Director of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat, Mr. Gjergji METHOXHA expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Brigadier General Radostin ILIEV, Director for Defense Policy and Planning and to Mrs. Daniela GRIGOROVA, new Director of SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat for a harmonious and fruitful cooperation and the warm hospitality.

He extended its full cooperation to the incoming Bulgarian SEDM Chairmanship and presented best wishes to the new SEDM Chairmanship for success in all their endeavors to the benefit of the Member Nations of SEDM and for our region.

The Official Ceremony of the Hand Over – Take Over of South-East Europe Defense Ministerial Coordination Committee/ Political-Military Steering Committee (SEDM-CC/PMSC) Chairmanship will be held together with the 22th SEEBRIG Anniversary Ceremony on 26th August 2021 in Kumanovo, North Macedonia.

The SEDM Deputy Chief of Defence/General Staff Meeting (DCHODs) 2021 Meeting has been performed on 10 June 2021, via Video-Teleconference.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/General Staff and Representatives from 14 SEDM member nations, SEEBRIG's Commander, the Director of RACVIAC and UNDP SEESAC Policy Expert attended the meeting, chaired by H.E. Mr.
Petro KOÇI, Chairman of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat/Deputy Minister of Defense.

The SEDM Chairman and Co-Chair, Deputy Chief of General Staff of Croatia, Lieutenant General Siniša JURKOVIĆ, as the Host Nation, opened the annual SEDM DCHOD's Meeting and delivered their welcoming remarks to the participants.

The purpose of this Meeting is to foster constructive regional political-military cooperation in Southeast Europe (SEE), in order to further strengthen peace, stability, trust, prosperity and security in the region.

The Deputy Chiefs of Defence/ General Staff stated that the SEDM Initiative has strengthened the relations between our nations and has contributed to their efforts towards a common Euro-Atlantic future. They welcomed the achievements of SEEBRIG Brigade and acknowledged the contribution of the Brigade to the regional peace, security and stability. They reiterated that all achievements and the outstanding results reached in all these years, present an imperative for us to make all necessary efforts, in order to continue on further strengthening our regional defense cooperation through increased cooperation between member nations.

Being the last SEDM Meeting under the Albanian Chairmanship, the SEDM Chairman expressed his appreciation and gratitude to all SEDM member Nations for their contribution to the SEDM Process and took the opportunity to extend best wishes to Sofia for a successful Chairmanship of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat in the next mandate.

At the end, the participants expressed their appreciation to Host Nation and SEDM Secretariat for their efforts in successfully preparing and conducting the annual DCHODs Meeting through Video-Teleconference.

The Joint statement is available by clicking here.

The 14th Interconnection of Military Hospitals (IMIHO) Users’ Meeting took place virtually on 25 May 2021, organized by Athens.

Mr. Petro KOÇI, SEDM-CC/PMSC Chairman opened the Meeting by emphasizing the importance of the Project and expressed his appreciation for tangible results and outputs, achieved so far, at no cost to nations.

The IMIHO Chairman, LtCol Theodoros Valsamidis expressed his appreciation for the invaluable support of SEDM-CC/PMSC Chairman and Secretariat . He also thanked all the Participants for their presence.

An IMIHO Awards Ceremony took place to honor individuals who distinguished themselves by providing valuable support and assistance to the activities of the Project.

A Webinar was executed via the IMIHO dedicated teleconference platform, that focused on Intensive Care, moderated by the IMIHO Chairman, composed of diverse and informational presentations. During the session, Nations presented their infrastructure and capabilities, as well as sharing their experiences and contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants from six Nations, as well as the SEDM Secretariat had the opportunity to exchange their expert opinions, views and experiences, as well as elaborate on lessons learned and way-ahead. Presentation recordings and slides will be published to the IMIHO Portal.

The 32nd IMIHO Technical Working Group Meeting took place virtually on 24 May 2021. During the event, the IMIHO Chairman elaborated on the significant progress and tangible outcomes achieved, as well as the planned way-ahead. A fruitful dialog produced several action items of common interest and benefits. Specific actions were decided, aiming at further enriching the IMIHO Portal, enhancing functions and services offered at no cost to users, including subprojects, webinars and online medical training, both theoretical and practical. Furthermore, a new version of the IMIHO website will be deployed in September 2021, based on best practices, lessons learned and user feedback.

We hope that these multinational activities will bring the national health care communities closer, provide an online medium for information and expertise exchange, while conducting training, fostering scientific and academic collaboration among professionals of the Health Care Institutions, serving Military personnel. Finally, it is our hope that the Webinar and future activities will help towards bringing soon an end to the ongoing pandemic situation.

More information and recorded material will be available at the IMIHO Portal soon.

The 44th SEDM-CC and 45th PMSC Meetings of the SEDM Initiative were held under the Albanian Chairmanship, via Videoconference,on 17th March 2021, due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Representatives from 14 SEDM Member Nations, SEEBRIG’s Commander and representatives from international and regional organizations such as UNDP SEESAC and RACVIAC participated in the meetings, chaired by the Director of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat, Mr. Gjergji METHOXHA.

The Director of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat underlined in his speech that SEDM processis a successful story and continues to be a real proof of consolidated bridges of friendship and cooperation between our nations.Through the SEDM Process, we have achieved a lot during all these years by working together, honoring our commitments and further strengthening the political-military cooperation in our region. He outlined important matters finalized during the SEDM Albanian Chairmanship.    

The 44th SEDM-CC Meeting was focused on the developments of the SEDM projects as well on the achievements obtained within the SEDM process. The SEDM-CC participants has been informed by Athens representative about the “Interconnection of Military Hospital (IMIHO)” Project, which has further enhanced the cooperation between military hospitals among health care personnel on areas of common interest and benefits, with special focus on COVID-19 pandemic; about the developments of Female Leaders in Security and Defence Project (FLSD) by Rome representative, as well as regarding the further development of the SEDM Permanent Portal (SEDM Portal project)by Bucharest and Athens representatives.

The Director of SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat of the SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat updated the participants regarding the future Hand-Over Take-Over of the SEDM Secretariat from Tirana to Sofia. He outlined that in the beginning of this year it has started an exchange of information from the SEDM Secretariat to the next Secretariat. The SEDM Secretariat has delivered to Sofia an executive report of all our experience in chairing the SEDM Secretariat. Moreover, a meeting between the SEDM Secretariat and Sofia has been performed virtually on 12 February 2021. In June 2021, another Coordination Meeting between two Secretariats is planned to be performed.

During the 45th PMSC Meeting, SEEBRIG’s Commander Brigadier Aristeidis ILIOPOULOS presented a detailed update about SEEBRIG’s main activities since the last PMSC meeting. He highlighted the Annual Report 2020 activities, the implications of COVID-19 pandemic on SEEBRIG activities, the future activities, as well as the financial and personnel issues and about SEEBRIG’s future perspectives. He outlined SEEBRIG’srequest for the cancellation of the Exercise “Seven Stars 2021”.

Based on the feedback of the member Nations, the PMSC endorsedthe cancellation of SEEBRIG’s Exercise “Seven Stars 2021”.

Concerning the Hand Over-Take Over of SEDM-CC/PMSC Chairmanship and the Celebration of 22th SEEBRIG’s Anniversary, SEEBRIG’s Chief of Staff, Colonel Zlatko GJORGJIOVSKI briefed the PMSC about these two important events, which will take place at Camp “BoroMenkov”, on 26 August 2021, in Kumanovo, North Macedonia.

At the end, the Director emphasized the fact that the experience gained so far is significant in order to maintain the efficiency of the regional cooperation while increasing SEEBRIG’s potentials and extended his full cooperation to the incoming SEDM Bulgarian Chairmanship

The participants expressed their appreciation to SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat and to SEDM Portal Technical Working Group for their efforts in successfully preparing and conducting via VTC the SEDM-CC/PMSC Meetings.

The 13^th Interconnection of Military Hospitals (IMIHO) Users’ Meeting took place virtually on 17 December 2020, in collaboration with “Celio” Military Hospital in Rome. A Webinar was executed via IMIHO dedicated teleconference platform, that focused on the contributions, challenges and experiences of the Military health care personnel during the ongoing pandemic crisis.    

Participants from seven Nations, as well as the SEDM Secretariat had the opportunity to receive an extensive briefing, composed of diverse and informational presentations on COVID-19 related topics, such as national perspectives and military contribution, evacuation of patients, diagnosis, triage/bed allocation priority and software development.  The duration of the Webinar was extended, due to the enthusiastic willingness of Participants to engage into conversation and exchange their expert opinions, views and experiences, as well as elaborate on lessons learned and way-ahead.

The 31^st IMIHO Technical Working Group Meeting took place virtually on 18 December 2020. During the event, the IMIHO Chairman elaborated on the significant progress and tangible outcomes achieved during the last months, as well as the planned way-ahead. A fruitful dialog produced several action items of common interest and benefits. Specific actions were decided, aiming at further enriching the IMIHO Portal, enhancing functions and services offered at no cost to users, including subprojects, webinars and online medical training, both theoretical and practical. Furthermore, a new version of the IMIHO website is under development, with substantial results, by utilizing new internet technologies, open-source software, mobile technologies and based on best practices, lessons learned and user feedback.

The participants would like to express their gratitude to “Celio” Hospital personnel for the excellent presentations and superb organization of the event. Also, special thanks to SEDM Secretariat for the support, as well as all participants for the cordial cooperation.

We hope that these multinational activities will bring the national health care communities closer, provide an online medium for information and expertise exchange, while conducting training, fostering scientific and academic collaboration among professionals of the Health Care Institutions, serving Military personnel. Finally, it is our hope that the Webinar and future activities will help towards bringing soon an end to the ongoing pandemic situation. 

More information and recorded material will be available at theat the IMIHO Portal soon.

Bucharest, as host nation of Female Leaders in Security and Defence (FLSD) Project, organized on Thursday, 5 November 2020, the International Conference “Gender equality - 20 years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. The impact on the security and defence sector” in order to promote the gender dimension.

The event, organized via use of SEDM videoconference system, took place under the auspices of the Process of Meetings of Defence Ministers of Southeast Europe (SEDM) and was part of the set of actions undertaken by Bucharest, as a nation-leader, to further develop the project "Women Leader in the field of Security and Defence”. Our country is, after 2017, for the second time the host of an international conference dedicated to the promotion of gender equality.

,,This anniversary it happening in a year with a double significance – the 75th anniversary of the UN and its founding Charter and 65th anniversary of Romania’s accession to the organization”  said Secretary of State Simona Cojocaru, Head of the Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations within the Ministry of National Defence.

The Secretary of State stated that, based on national legal framework, Romanian MoD  promotes and supports fair and balanced access at all hierarchical levels for men and women, military or civilian personnel, to both leading and executive positions, with the observance of complying with performance selection criteria.,, Therefore, there are no restrictions regarding women’s participation and selection for positions in the MoD, specific to permanent missions from the Military Representations of Romania to international organizations, or temporary missions specific to commanding or executive structures deployed abroad”, concluded the Head of the Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations.

The conference was attended by experts from SEDM Member – Tirana, Sarajevo, Athens, Rome, Skopje, Podgorica, Ljubljana and Ankara, representatives of the UN, NATO and the Centre for Security Cooperation in South Eastern Europe (RACVIAC).

The event was also attended by representatives of public institutions that contributed to the development of programmatic documents on gender issues, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Agency for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men, the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, as well as representatives of civil society.

In the same context, of the activities organized at national level to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UNSCR 1325, were released publicly the National Strategy and the National Action Plan on the implementation of UNSCR 1325 (2000), Women , Peace and Security, for the period 2020-2023, approved by Government Decision no. 561/2020.

At the Ministry of National Defence, the two decades since the adoption of the UN Resolution on Women, Peace and Security were marked on Wednesday, November 4, by naming "Smaranda Brăescu" (the first woman parachutist with a patent in Romania, European and world champion in parachuting) the conference room of the Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations of the Ministry of National Defence.

The conference was an opportunity to reaffirm, at international level, the role of women in the prevention and resolution of military conflicts, in the promotion of peace and security, as well as in the political and military decision-making process.

The South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) meeting has been performed on 14th October 2020, via Video Teleconference, using the SEDM Portal.

Deputy Ministers of Defence/representatives from 13 SEDM Nations, SEEBRIG Commander and representatives from RACVIAC, RCC and UNDP SEESAC participated in the Meeting, which was chaired by Deputy Minister of Defence of Albania/Chairman of SEDM-CC/PMSC Secretariat, H.E. Mr. Petro KOÇI and Deputy Minister of National Defense of Greece H.E. Mr. Alkiviadis STEFANIS.

The SEDM Chairman H.E. Mr. Petro KOÇI and H.E. Mr. Alkiviadis STEFANIS opened the Meeting and delivered their speeches underlining the importance of the moment.

In the beginning, SEDM Chairman addressed the impact and the challenges posed by COVID-19 virus as a global health crisis and expressed that our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims, and with all those who suffers from the pandemic.

SEDM Chairman gave a rundown on the latest developments on SEDM-CC Projects and PMSC activities since the last SEDM Ministerial Meeting highlighting the achievements obtained within the SEDM process under the Albanian Chairmanship. 

COMSEEBRIG, Brigadier General Aristeidis ILIOPOULOS, gave an update on SEEBRIG’s activities since the last SEDM Ministerial meeting and presented the documents to be approved by Deputy Ministers of Defence of MPFSEE Nations.

Deputy Ministers of Defence and representatives from SEDM Nations welcomed the achievements of SEEBRIG Brigade and acknowledged the contribution of this Brigade as important tool for promoting regional security, stability, cooperation and fostering good neighborly relations among countries in the region.

SEDM nation’s representatives expressed their views on the future of SEDM Initiative and underlined that SEDM Initiative has strengthened the relations between the countries and has contributed to their efforts for a common European and Euro-Atlantic future.

The representatives reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of this initiative through increased co-operation between member nations and through specific projects within this initiative.

At the end, the Deputy Ministers of Defence/representatives approved the “Joint Statement” of the Ministers of Defense of the SEDM member nations.

Finally, the nations expressed their appreciation to Athens and SEDM Portal Technical Working and to the SEDM Secretariat for the tireless efforts in successfully preparing and conducting the annual SEDM Ministerial Meeting via Video Teleconference.

The full joint statement is available here.