A meeting of all defense ministers from the Western Balkan states took place in the Wachau region from 13 to 14 September. At the invitation of Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, the ministers of the Western Balkan states from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia attended.
Austria offered a platform on neutral ground with the aim of promoting a sustainable increase in security stability in the Western Balkans. This is to be supported through talks as well as regional and bilateral cooperation. As the Western Balkans are still considered a post-war region, they continue to require a special commitment from the EU and Austria. “Only through cohesion and mutual trust can security policy stability and successful regional cooperation be ensured. Because security cannot be taken for granted,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
With the visit and presentation by Mr. Jirí Sedivý, Managing Director of the European Defence Agency, the meeting was also acknowledged by the EU with a clear sign of appreciation. The Western Balkan states should be accompanied in the EU accession process “at eye level”. It is important to neutralize negative influences from external state actors. The dialogues between the states in the form of regional meetings form an important basis for subsequent bilateral and regional cooperation. Concrete plans and projects are also defined at the highest level of security policy and military strategy. These are then to be implemented with appropriate support from all decision-making levels. https://militaeraktuell.at/wie-steht-es-heute-um-den-westbalkan/ The aim is to further strengthen regional cooperation in the Western Balkans, with the involvement of Austria. This would increase the success of peace support operations and help to overcome challenges such as natural disasters, migration and pandemics. Austria sent its first UN contingent abroad back in 1960. Since 1995, over 13,000 Austrians have served in the EU peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina – continuously under Austrian commanders since 2002. In the Balkans, more than 22,000 soldiers have created security and stability in Kosovo since 1999 under the NATO command of the Kosovo Force. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C0emXP2ZQ4
