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Turkish minister says need for creating common goals and ideals in Balkans
Turkey's National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said that there was need for creating common goals and ideals in the Balkans.
"When we take into consideration the ethnic, religious and linguistic differences in the region, we can say that what we need is to create common goals and ideals," Gonul said during the hand-over ceremony at the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) headquarters in Istanbul.
"SEDM and SEEBRIG are of vital importance for creating a common identity and bringing stability and sustainable peace to the region," he also said.
In the ceremony, Romanian general Virgil Balaceanu handed over the command to Albanian general Zyber Dushku, while Riossitsa Dimitrov of Bulgaria became the new head of the Political and Military Steering Committee of the Southeastern Defense Ministerial (SEDM) Coordination Committee.
During the ceremony, Gonul said that Bosnia-Herzegovina would get the observer status in Multi-National Peace Force of the Southeastern Europe (MPFSEE), which would increase SEDM's efficiency and success.
Gonul expressed belief that the political developments in the Balkans would contribute to sustainable peace and stability.
Cooperation and good-neighborly relations were the guarantee of a compromise in the Balkans, Gonul said.
Gonul also said that Turkey was contributing all international and regional endeavors to encourage peace and stability in Southeast Europe, and would maintain its efforts in the future.
On September 26, 1998, in Skopje, Macedonia, an agreement was signed on the set up of the Multinational Peace Force South-Eastern Europe (MPFSEE), that included the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG), the operational component of SEDM.
Member states are Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, and Turkey. Observers are Croatia, Slovenia, United States.
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