The Deputy Chief of General Staff, Major General Azim Nuredin, participated in the annual meeting of the Deputy Chiefs of General Staff of the armies of member countries in the SEDM (South-East Europe Defense Ministerial) process, which was held on June 26th in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey.
The director of the SEDM Secretariat, Violeta Niculescu addressed the meeting with an introductory speech, as well as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, General Irfan Ozsert, as the host of this year’s meeting.
In their addresses, the first participation of the Republic of Moldova in the meeting as a full member was welcomed, while the conviction was expressed that the valuable experience of Chisinau will be of great importance for SEDM in its efforts to promote regional security and stability.
At the SEDM meeting, participants from member states and representatives from international organizations discussed the current regional security risks that countries face, especially the current strategic scenario, which is very challenging, as Southeast Europe is surrounded by an area of widespread instability caused primarily by Russian aggression against Ukraine. Considering this perspective, the importance of maintaining and deepening the regional dialogue, even at the strategic military level, is highlighted, recognizing it as a key element for managing current crises and avoiding future ones. In his address to the audience, General Nuredin emphasized that as the current hosts of the Brigade Command for Southeast Europe, by providing the necessary resources and support, we show our commitment in carrying out the mission of the Brigade. The Army of the Republic of North Macedonia is dedicated to the advancement of collective security through continuous improvement of our capacities and capabilities.
The necessity of focusing and advancing the technology that is necessary to follow the needs of modern warfare was highlighted, while cyber security was emphasized as particularly important, because with the increase in mutual networking, the security threats to digital systems also grow. It was emphasized that building a strong defence is especially important for the protection of the critical infrastructure.
All important SEDM processes were presented, as well as the activities of the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG), whose command we are hosting, while at the end of the meeting a joint declaration was adopted approving current activities and verifying future planned activities.
The next meeting of the Deputy Chiefs of Staff of the Armies of the Member States is planned to be organized in Sofia, according to the agreed meeting agenda.
