Today (September 3) in the barracks “Boro Menkov” – Kumanovo, in the presence of the Minister of Defense, Vlado Misajlovski, the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, the Chief of the General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces, General Gheorghita Vlad and other numerous guests, a solemn ceremony was held on the occasion of the Chairman of the Political-Military Management Committee and the Coordination Committee of SEDM duty handover and commemoration of the 26th anniversary since the formation of the South-Eastern Europe Brigade, SEEBRIG.
Minister of Defense Vlado Misajlovski, in his address to the present senior representatives from the member states, emphasized that SEEBRIG, as one of the most successful projects within SEDM, has proven itself over the past 26 years as the best instrument for mutual understanding and development of the capacities of the member states.
“Working together, side by side in a region that always strives for peace, we can certainly be even more effective in ensuring security and prosperity for our citizens,” said Misajlovski. The fact that the South-Eastern Europe Brigade Command has been located in Kumanovo for the past five years, he added, is a clear indication of our strong belief in regional cooperation that builds bridges and connects our armed forces.
Minister Misajlovski expressed his gratitude to Simona Cojacaru for her dedication as the current Chair of the SEDM Secretariat and the Political-Military Management Committee and wished success to Ambassador Eleftherios Angelopoulos, who will hold this position for the next 2 years.
The South-Eastern Europe Brigade was established in 1998 in Skopje, where the Agreement on the Establishment of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force Southeast Europe was signed. The Brigade’s command has so far been located on a rotational basis in Plovdiv, Constanta, Istanbul, Trnava/ Larissa and Kumanovo. In 2026, the command will be located again in Istanbul, Turkey. Over the past 26 years, the brigade has participated in numerous peacekeeping missions, including the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, where it took command of the Kabul Multinational Brigade. It has also organized 14 “Seven Stars” exercises, which are the most significant in the region and involve the participation of more than 200 soldiers from nine countries.
