In Brdo pri Kranju, ministers from the CEDC and the Western Balkans Discuss Strengthening Regional Defence Cooperation

SLOVENIA, September 22 - The host and chair of the meeting, Minister of Defence Valentin Hajdinjak, M.A., and other defence ministers discussed European security, defence readiness, European defence initiatives, military mobility, the security situation in the region, and concrete opportunities for further regional cooperation.

In 2026, Slovenia will chair the CEDC under the motto From Policy to Practice – Building a Stronger Central Europe, which emphasises the transition from political dialogue to concrete cooperation, joint projects, and capacity building. The CEDC brings together the defence ministries of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia, while Poland participates as an observer. Cooperation with partners from the Western Balkans within the framework of CEDC+ has been ongoing since 2020.

Strengthening European Defence Readiness

On the first day of the ministerial meeting, September 21, the CEDC defence ministers focused primarily on the European security environment, the new European Security Strategy, and defence readiness. They discussed strengthening European defence capabilities and the defence industrial and technological base, as well as the effective implementation of European defence initiatives. The discussion focused on the areas in which regional cooperation within the CEDC framework can make a concrete contribution to collective defence readiness.

The Balkan Medical Task Force as an Example of Concrete Regional Cooperation

On the second day, September 22, the first ministerial-level meeting on the operations of the Balkan Medical Task Force (BMTF) took place. As Defence Minister Valentin Hajdinjak, M.A., emphasised, the BMTF is an exemplary case of regional cooperation. Its members include Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

The BMTF provides rapid and sustainable medical support at the ROLE 2 level, primarily during natural and other disasters and crises in the Western Balkans, though it can also operate outside the region. Slovenia assumed the chairmanship of the BMTF Steering Committee this year and is working toward its full operationalisation. Over the past ten years, the six countries have jointly developed capacities for medical support during disasters and other crises, and the European Union has supported this development through the European Peace Facility with a measure totalling 16 million euros.

The ministers adopted a joint statement expressing their political will to continue cooperation and to operationalise the BMTF. Following the meeting, Minister Valentin Hajdinjak, M.A., emphasised that after ten years of developing this capacity, it is time for the next step – putting it into practice.

The security of Central Europe and the Western Balkans is closely linked

Later on the second day, representatives from the Western Balkan countries joined the CEDC ministers. At the start of the joint session, Minister of Defence Valentin Hajdinjak, M.A., emphasised: “The security of Central Europe is closely linked to the security of the Western Balkans. It is the wish of the Slovenian Presidency that we move from words to action, that we not only talk about political dialogue but achieve concrete results. That is why today we will discuss European defence initiatives, military mobility, the security situation in the region and beyond, and projects and initiatives that can further deepen our cooperation.”

During the discussions, it was emphasised that regional formats prove their value primarily through concrete results. Regarding European defence initiatives, the discussion focused on closer integration of Western Balkan partners into European defence cooperation, including through the European Peace Facility, PESCO projects, and EU partnerships in the field of security and defence. Slovenia supports closer cooperation with partners, which strengthens joint defence capabilities and readiness.

Ministers also discussed military mobility, particularly practical proposals for the rapid, coordinated, and secure cross-border movement of military personnel and equipment. Given Slovenia’s strategic geographical location, it is also important to identify bottlenecks in transportation infrastructure and to develop critical infrastructure projects, including dual-use infrastructure.

The Future of Ukraine – A Fundamental Issue for European Security

Special attention was also given to support for Ukraine. Slovenia emphasises that the future of Ukraine is a fundamental issue for European security and that support for Ukraine, as well as the integration of its experiences, defence industry, and innovations into the European defence technology and industrial base, must remain coordinated and predictable. At the end of the meeting, Minister Valentin Hajdinjak, M.A., also emphasised support for efforts toward a just and lasting peace. In this regard, NATO remains the foundation of collective defence, and European defence initiatives must complement the Alliance.

Concrete Results of the Slovenian Presidency

Among the concrete results of the Slovenian presidency, two products of the CEDC Language Platform were also presented: a multilingual terminology dictionary covering the fields of medium-range forces, unmanned aerial vehicles, and counter-unmanned aerial vehicle systems; and an overview of language testing in accordance with STANAG 6001 in CEDC countries. The products were developed under the leadership of the Slovenian Armed Forces School of Foreign Languages.

Minister Valentin Hajdinjak, M.A., emphasised that this is a significant achievement of the Slovenian presidency, “which will help our armed forces communicate more easily with one another in the field of new technologies and will also lead to greater interoperability.”

From Political Dialogue to Results

At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants adopted a joint statement by the CEDC and the Western Balkans, confirming their shared interest in strengthening security, defence readiness, and practical regional cooperation.

At the end of the two-day meeting, Minister Valentin Hajdinjak highlighted three key takeaways from the discussions. In his view, Europe must accelerate efforts to strengthen defence readiness and translate adopted decisions and initiatives into concrete capabilities as soon as possible. In this regard, NATO remains the cornerstone of collective defence, while European defence initiatives must complement the Alliance.

The second conclusion relates to the common security of Central Europe and the Western Balkans. A stable and secure Western Balkans is in the strategic interest of Slovenia and Europe, which is why it is important to involve partners from the region in forms of defence cooperation. He cited the BMTF as an example of such cooperation.

Third, he emphasised that regional cooperation makes sense only if it yields results. In the context of military mobility, this means the timely removal of obstacles to the rapid and safe movement of personnel, equipment, and resources across borders, as well as cooperation in the areas of transportation infrastructure and procedures. Regional frameworks, he said, must complement NATO and the European Union and contribute to filling specific gaps and developing joint capabilities.

“Our motto is ‘From Policy to Practice.’ After these two days, I would add just one more thing: our goal must be to have as few things written down as possible and as many things done as possible,” Minister Hajdinjak concluded.

Among the key events of the Slovenian Presidency were the meeting of defence policy directors, the first meeting of CEDC chiefs of staff, and the CEDC-Western Balkans ministerial meeting. Slovenia will continue working on specific projects through the end of the year. In November, on the side lines of the SIDEC trade fair, it will also host a meeting of national directors of armaments, and at the end of 2026, it will hand over the CEDC presidency to Croatia.

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