Top military officials from Southeast Europe meet in Albania

TIRANA, Sept. 12 – Albania collected for three days senior military officials from southeastern European countries Sept. 12-14 to discuss Balkan military ties, security issues and participation in international military missions. There were military officials from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, the U.S. and NATO. During the three days of talks they focused talks on a series of issues on security in the Balkan region and wider. They also would discuss a planned meeting of their defense ministers and those from NATO member countries on Sept. 27 in Tirana. Most countries attending the Tirana conference are members of the South East European Brigade, or SEEBRIG, created in 1998 to coordinate military and security efforts among countries that at the time were not NATO members. Albania heads since last year and for another year the Secretariat of the organization. “Armed conflicts during the last decade in the region asked not only for the presence of international peacekeeping forces, but also made necessary the creation of a sustainable mechanism of cooperation among the regional countries,” said a statement. The officials would also prepare a meeting of their defense ministers with NATO member countries Sept. 27 in Tirana, when U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to come as well.