The participants of the Annual Meeting co-organised by the National Assembly and the Centre for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC), with the Geneva Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), adopted a Joint Statement today, calling for an improvement of regional cooperation and relief for the flooded areas of SEE.

Closing the conference, the organisers stressed that the regional dialogue has shifted the focus from the military aspects of security to civil protection and disaster risk management. They opined that the dialogue had been conducted openly, drawing attention to today’s real problems and challenges, and that it could help national parliaments in the improvement of the legislative framework for natural disaster defence.

The co-organisers of the Annual Meeting, the Centre for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC) and the Geneva Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), reaffirmed their determination to support regional projects and initiatives and highlighted the significance of parliamentary cooperation at the national, regional, bilateral and multilateral level. They announced that the next meeting will be held either in the Macedonian Parliament or the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the topic being migration – a truly important issue in the world and the SEE region.

On the behalf of the National Assembly, Defence and Internal Affairs Committee Chairperson Marija Obradovic thanked the representatives of the co-organisers, fellow parliamentarians from the region and the National Assembly Support Service for their efforts in the organisation of the Annual Meeting and urged for closer cooperation among the representatives of the supreme legislative bodies in the SEE countries in the development and adoption of documents important for the prevention of and recovery after natural disasters.

Click here to read the Joint Statement adopted at the end of the three-day Annual Meeting.

The Annual Meeting of the Representatives from Defence and Security Committees from South East European Parliaments - Flood Relief, held at the National Assembly, 30 June – 1 July, was attended by representatives of eight SEE parliamentary committees in charge of defence and security.