From January 28 to 30, the conference of the Partnership for Peace Consortium was held in Vienna on the topic of “25 Years: Integration of the Balkans”. The purpose of this conference was to examine the security policy developments in the Balkans over the past 25 years and to find out whether the “Defense and Security Education” project has been beneficial for stability and cooperation in the region.
The basis of the consortium is made up of participants from more than 800 organizations and 60 nations. There were 120 international and national participants from various fields such as science, the military, diplomacy and representatives of international organizations. The Directorate General for Defense Policy was responsible for the event in Vienna together with the National Defense Academy, both of which are members of the consortium.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner: “The last 25 years have clearly shown that Austria is a committed partner and strong supporter of the Partnership for Peace consortium. By training civilian and military forces together, we are strengthening cooperation between nations and creating the basis for greater security and trust. The conference shows once again how important it is to build bridges between nations and work together towards a secure future.”
The first day of the conference was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the “Conference of the Partnership for Peace Consortium”. The second day focused on the influence of the war on the Balkan region and the strategic view of these countries – the future aspect in particular was included in the discourse. The highlight of the last day was a panel discussion between two teams of three people each on the regions and measures as well as a presentation on the resilience of the Balkans.
The Partnership for Peace Consortium was founded as part of NATO’s 50th anniversary in 1999 and has since developed into an international network. The participating institutions include defence academies, Partnership for Peace Consortium training centers, national and international security policy research institutes, international organizations and universities. The main aim of the consortium is to strengthen multinational cooperation and promote the exchange of knowledge through joint civilian and military training in security and strategic planning.
Here for further army news.
