Ministers from 11 countries, cooperating within the Southeastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) process, expressed satisfaction with their security cooperation in promoting peace and stability in the region and their integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.
In a joint statement, they expressed their unanimous support for the deployment of the Southeastern Europe Brigade in Afghanistan.
In February 2006 the Brigade Command will assume a six-month mission as the headquarters of the Kabul Multinational Brigade of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
This assistance will give the Afghan people encouragement and self-confidence, US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, who hosted the meeting, said at a closing press conference.
The meeting was attended by Croatian Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic, who said that the deployment of the Southeastern Europe Brigade Command to Afghanistan was "the crown of the overall SEDM process."
SEDM ministers also supported NATO-led operations in and outside the region, pledging their further support to alliance efforts in promoting security, stability and a lasting peace in Southeastern Europe.
Also discussed was the fight against terrorism, counterproliferation, border security and cooperation among their military industries.
The United States is pleased with the progress made by SEDM and expects a stronger partnership with it, Rumsfeld said.
The conference marked the formal accession of Ukraine, which joined Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and the United States. The meeting was also attended by Moldova as an observer and by Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina as guests.
Relevant SEDM bodies were instructed to consider the possibility for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro to become observers within the process.
The SEDM process began in 1996 as a regional initiative to serve as a bridge to Euro-Atlantic institutions, particularly NATO. Its stated objectives are to promote peace and stability in the region, enhance cooperation and regional security, and support NATO Partnership for Peace programmes.