ZAGREB, November 23, 2018 - A two-day regional security conference on security challenges in Europe opened in Zagreb on Thursday, bringing together government officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia and representatives of the German Institute for Security Policy.

The conference was organised by the Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC) - Centre for Security Cooperation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation with the support of the Institute for Development and International Relations.

The regional security conference was opened by presidential defence and national security adviser Vlado Galić, who said that global security challenges such as terrorism and illegal migration have become challenges to many states which, being responsible members of the international community, should give their contribution to eradicating such phenomena.

He said that there are a lot of security challenges that are important for stability and security in Southeast Europe, adding that both stability and security are affected by developments in the region and by distant processes in the globalised world.

"The stability of Southeast Europe is a vital interest for the national security of Croatia and all countries in Southeast Europe," Galić said. He added that he is confident that these countries are following with concern "the processes and numerous challenges that meet and overlap" in the region.

Galić said that these challenges can be viewed through the influence of third parties on the countries of Southeast Europe, through the influence of radical political ideologies and through the influence of global processes such as uncontrolled mass migration and terrorism.

Opening remarks were also made by RACVIAC director Jeronim Bazo, the head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Croatia, Michael A. Lange, German ambassador to Croatia Robert Richard Klinke, and the state secretary at the Croatian Ministry of Defence, Zdravko Jakop.

This year's regional security conference is the sixth in a series of activities aimed at discussing transformation processes in Southeast Europe with regard to institutional readiness and responsibility for membership of NATO and the EU, particularly taking into account necessary reforms in the security sector in the context of contemporary security challenges.

Speaking to the press after the opening ceremony, Galić declined to comment on the so-called fake text messages affair, following media reports that he had contacted the suspect Franjo Varga several times. Varga, a former police IT specialist, has been remanded to custody on suspicion of fabricating text messages for former Dinamo Football Club boss Zdravko Mamić, which he was to use as evidence of pressure being put on judges in his case to convict him. Media have also linked Varga to the deputy leader of the ruling HDZ party, Milijan Brkić.

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ZAGREB, October 2, 2018 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday that the meeting about the Western Balkan countries in Geneva would be an opportunity for talks about the consequences of the referendum in Macedonia, the security situation, negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo and a chance to analyse the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the elections scheduled to take place next weekend.

ZAGREB, September 28, 2018 - Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović told a meeting held on the margins of the ongoing UN General Assembly session in New York on Thursday that Southeast Europe had become a testing ground for different countries and their interests, that there were tensions between countries in the region and that it was important to ensure the integration of that part of Europe with the European Union.

ZAGREB, September 1, 2018 - Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić said on Friday that Western Balkan countries had to resolve outstanding bilateral issues dating back to the 1990s war if they wanted to join the EU.

ZAGREB, August 30, 2018 - Attending an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Vienna on Thursday, Croatia Defence Minister Damir Krstičević said that southeast Europe is faced with a series of security issues and that the EU has the mechanisms that can strengthen stability there, and one way is to include those countries in the common EU defence policy, the Croatian ministry said in a press release.

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ZAGREB, July 13, 2018 - The United States remains committed to Southeast Europe and those who want to divide us will not succeed, US Secretary of Defence James Mattis said in Zagreb on Friday.

ZAGREB, July 11, 2018 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in London on Tuesday, during the EU-Western Balkans Summit, that the focus of Croatia's European Union presidency in the first half of 2020 would be on the countries of Southeast Europe.

ZAGREB, July 10, 2018 - The heads of state or government of countries involved in the Berlin Process, including Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, started the second day of the EU-Western Balkans summit in London on Tuesday with a working lunch hosted by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

ZAGREB, July 10, 2018 - Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić said in London on Monday it was important to Croatia to see all Southeast European countries join European associations as soon as possible so that conditions for peace and stability could be created in that part of Europe.