Message of the Chairman H.E. Mr. Petro KOÇI,as Albania assumes the SEDM Chairmanship


Dear Colleagues,
As Albania assumed the Chairmanship of the SEDM Secretariat in July 2019, in the capacity of one of the signatory countries of the SEDM Agreement since the inception of this Initiative, as well as in the capacity of the country in which this Initiative “was born”, as the Chairman of the SEDM Process, I would like to highlight that Albania is a firm supporter of the SEDM Initiative and we are fully committed to continue promoting the relevance of the SEDM Process, which has proved to be a successful confidence building mechanism in SEE, as it has strengthened the relations among our countries and has contributed to their proper efforts towards a common Euro-Atlantic future.
The experience that we gained so far is significant for both the efficiency of regional cooperation and increasing SEEBRIG’s potentials. As we celebrated 20 years of SEEBRIG, we believe that the Brigade is a good example of pooling and sharing our capacities for regional civil emergencies and NATO’s military operations. Moreover, SEDM has always been a project-oriented organization, thus we will aim to raise awareness on the current projects and look to any new opportunities and ideas, in possible harmony with those of international organizations such as NATO and EU.
The focus of the Albanian Chairmanship is on achieving the main priority goals, as follows:
- Consolidating the confidence-building mechanism; strengthening the military cooperation in South-Eastern Europe;
- Providing the necessary environment for interaction and cooperation among our servicemen and women in different fields and projects undertaken by SEDM Initiative;
- Enhancement of the level of interaction with other international organizations, namely NATO, EU and UN and by contributing in certain operations and missions with its MPFSEE (Multinational Peace Force of South East Europe);
- Enhancement of the SEEBRIG interoperability and capability to be deployed in Peace Support Operations;
- Promoting and enhancing the visibility of SEDM Initiative and SEEBRIG;
- Implementation and development of the SEDM projects, consider new effective cooperation areas and avoiding duplications or overlapping with other Initiatives;
- Promoting “Open Door Policy” in order to reaffirm our commitment to the openness of our Initiative, which contributes to Peace and Security in the Euro-Atlantic area.
I would also like to highlight the achievements during all these years by working together and by staying united, as our unity is our strength, confirming the words of our National Hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeg “Power through Unity’’, the motto of the Albanian Chairmanship.
We present our best wishes to the Athens Chairmanship for the achievements during their tenure and I express my gratitude for the great support and assistance in transitioning the Chairmanship to Albania.
The Secretariat under the Albanian Chairmanship is comprised of the Director of the Secretariat and 4 Secretariat members, respectively:
Secretariat Director: Mr. Gjergji METHOXHA
Secretariat Members: Ms. Sindi KOVAÇI, Coordinator,
Lt Col. Ilirian KAÇORRI, Staff Officer,
Maj. Olger ILJAZI, Staff Officer,
Mrs. Elona MAKO, Administration/Protocol.