The meeting of Defence Ministers of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC) took place in Budapest on 25 April 2024, which is the highest-level event of the Hungarian CEDC Presidency. In line with the priorities of the Hungarian Presidency, the ministers of the Western Balkan partners were invited to the second part of the meeting.
During the CEDC meeting, ministers discussed about the the setting up of the Western Balkans Security and Defence College (WBSDC) and the continuation of the CBRN Surveillance as a Service (CBRN SaaS) PESCO project. They also exchanged views about the military operations in the Western Balkans, with a special focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, and exchanged views on the future of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. The participants were given a first-hand briefing on the operational situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina by Major General László Sticz, the Hungarian commander of EUFOR Althea. All the speakers praised the Hungarian commander’s activities and the role he played in stabilising the operation.
It has been pointed out that the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East have a negative impact on the stability of the region. This can be countered by strengthening resilience and strategic communication, as well as by enhancing hybrid, cyber and information warfare capabilities and regional cooperation. It is also important to further strengthen relations between the Central European and Western Balkan countries and support integration efforts in the region.
Representatives of both groups of countries stressed the importance of continuing the integration process and the Western Balkan ministers thanked the Central European countries for their support.
