In addition to the signatories to the Charter -- Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, and the United States -- the conference is also being attended by delegations of the defence ministries of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, and Turkey.
The Charter, signed in Tirana in May 2003, laid foundations for a partnership between Albania, Croatia and Macedonia, the three remaining members of NATO's Membership Action Plan, in carrying out the necessary reforms for joining Euro-Atlantic integration processes.
By signing the Charter, the United States formalised its support to the three countries on their path to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Today's meeting is part of a regular dialogue. The previous one was held on the northern Croatian Adriatic archipelago of Brijuni last November when the Charter signatories signed a declaration expressing their readiness to participate in NATO missions such as one in Afghanistan or a training mission in Iraq.