RACVIAC SEMINAR STARTS IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Jan 29 (Hina) - The basis of Europe's security policy is maintaining peace and preventing war, but it is necessary to strengthen confidence at a regional level through measures of building cooperation and security, Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on Tuesday, opening the seminar entitled "Contribution of Measures for the Building of Security and Confidence (CSBM) in Creating Stability and Strengthening Security in Southeast Europe". The four-day seminar in Zagreb marks the second year of the work of the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC), a project within the Stability Pact which was jointly established by the German and Croatian governments in 2000. A total of 44 participants will until Friday be discussing the current process of stabilisation in Southeast Europe, the increasingly important role of the OSCE and measures for the building of confidence and security, as well as the importance of mutual transparency and trust in the creation of stable societies in the area. Europe's strategic potential is being weakened by the as yet not built European security structure in Southeast Europe, where the CSBM will help greatly, since its aim is to decrease tension by increasing transparency and removing fears, which decreases the danger of possible conflicts caused by misunderstandings or insufficient communication, Rados said in his opening speech. The first participants at the seminar was the special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jacques Klein, who spoke about the regional stability and security in Southeast Europe. Regional cooperation and democratisation must be a foundation for the region's security, and the best way to achieve this is through trilateral cooperation between Zagreb, Belgrade and Sarajevo, Klein said. Regional cooperation is a precondition for accessing European associations, he added. Croatia must have a leading role in the region, which also includes the adoption of rules which apply in the region, Klein stressed. According to him, national priorities in military issues were supposed to change, so a profound reform of the armed forces is necessary, which should be in the function of the society and should not be misused for political aims. Military capacities should be brought down to realistic levels, in line with the concrete capacities of military budgets of certain countries. The governments of countries in the region must reorganise their societies in such a way as to lead to progress, not new conflicts, Klein stressed. (hina) lml