Bucharest/Brussels -- Countries of South Eastern Europe have this week moved closer towards regional co-operation in the area of defence conversion. They have recognised that they are faced with similar circumstances and challenges in dealing with the economic and social costs of restructuring and downsizing of armed forces as part of the overall Security Sector Reform.
Defence Ministers of the South East European Co-operation Process (SEECP) adopted a Declaration (31 March) calling for the pace of Security Sector Reform in SEE to be accelerated. Moreover, they have agreed that in the reform process special attention will be given to the resettlement of redundant military personnel, conversion of former military bases and restructuring of military industry by conversion of redundant military facilities to civilian purposes.
Addressing the Meeting, Special Co-ordinator of the EU/US-backed Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe Erhard Busek said: “The key questions here are how to restructure and downsize military forces and the military-related sector, adapting them to the new security situation and the economic realities of the SEE region, to possible new roles as partners in international peace keeping structures, and all of this again in the light of decisions on the enlargement of both EU and NATO.”
On a practical level, the Defence Ministers have agreed to exchange information on national defence conversion programmes in order to create more transparency and define needs for technical and financial support. The role of the Zagreb-based Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC) will be strengthen so that it becomes a regional clearing house with a capacity to develop regional support networks, concentrate know-how on defence conversion and promote an integrated donors approach.
Ministers and high-level experts also stressed the importance of destruction of redundant stockpiles of major conventional weapon systems, including Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and redundant ammunition/explosives, while taking into account environmental implications. Therefore, the South Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapon (SEESAC), based in Belgrade has been specifically tasked to provide technical and managerial know-how on weapons destruction.
Detailed information can be received by clicking to the following documents:
- Stability Pact’s Background paper on defence conversion
(click on http://www.stabilitypact.org/wt3/050331-background.pdf)
- Speech by the Special Co-ordinator at the SEECP Defence Ministerial Conference
(click on http://www.stabilitypact.org/wt3/050331-busek.asp)
- Declaration adopted at the at the SEECP Defence Ministerial Conference
(click on http://www.stabilitypact.org/wt3/050331-declaration.pdf)
For more information, please contact Stability Pact’s Spokesperson
Mr. Dragan Barbutovski at the SP Secretariat in Brussels
(+32-2-4018725 or press@stabilitypact.org).
| 
RSS feeds
