Georgia hosts South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial for first time

For the first time in the history of Georgia, the country is hosting the South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM).

The international event is taking place in Georgia’s Black Sea coastal resort of Batumi.

Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria opened the ministerial gathering with underlining its importance.

"The beginning of the XXI century has been marked by deep turbulences in the geopolitical volatility, manifested all around the world with the conventional and non-conventional challenges. These challenges are directly affecting us - countries of the Black Sea and South–East European Region”, Izoria said.

"SEDM Platform gives a unique opportunity for promoting the regional cooperation and strengthening the defence capabilities to overcome the existing security challenges”, he added.

Following the Minister, SEDM Chairman Eleftherios Anghelopoulos addressed event participants.

#MoD#Georgia hosting the #SEDM ministerial. @HiltonBatumi.Friendship is essentially partnership. pic.twitter.com/DHeILYhYMZ

— Irina Tsertsvadze (@irinasiaa) October 10, 2017

SEDM aims to consolidate cooperation among regional countries to promote peace and security in the region, as well as to support Euro-Atlantic integration.

Georgia became a SEDM member country on September 10, 2015. Official Tbilisi got SEDM observer status in 2006. In 2013 Georgia asked the organisation for full membership.

South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial was established in 1996 during the meeting of regional ministers in Tirana, Albania under the initiative of the United States.

The members of the SEDM are the following countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. Moldova is an observer nation.