At the beginning of the seminar, the head of the NATO headquarters' department for planning, cooperation and defence policies, Georg Katsirdakis, commented on global changes after the 11 Septmebr 2001 attacks on the United States. He said that reforms in the defence and security sector should be carried out so as to adjust to new circumstances.
Katsirdakis advocated a stronger role of parliamentarians in the implementation and supervision of reforms in the said sector, adding that the reforms were a pillar in the development of democracy in south-eastern European countries.
The RACVIAC director, Brigadier General Stergios Papotis, said the aim of the seminar was to point out the importance of the role of parliamentarians in amending the said sector.
Deputy Special Coordinator of the Stability Pactor for Southeast Europe, Michael C. Mozur, commended countries in the region for their efforts in amending the defence and security systems.
The seminar has pooled political officials from Croatia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovenia and Turkey
RACVIAC was established in 2000 by the governments of Germany and Croatia. At the moment, 21 countries support its work.