In his address, Roncevic expressed satisfaction with the progress of SEDM projects during the ten years of existence of the initiative.
Other ministers noted that SEDM projects contributed to cooperation, stability and security in the region.
The SEDM defence ministers accepted requests by Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, and Serbia to be admitted to the initiative as observers, reaffirming the SEDM's open-door policy of cooperation and integration in the region.
Roncevic had bilateral meetings with ministers from countries of the A3 initiative, comprising Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia.
The three ministers expressed expectations that NATO would appreciate major defence reforms that had been implemented in all three countries over the past years and their active role according to NATO standards.
The three ministers said that a positive signal from the forthcoming alliance summit in Riga as to membership prospects would be very important for the further implementation of reforms in the A3 countries as well as for reform processes in other countries in the region, the press release said.