Republic of Macedonia represents a serious, credible factor of regional stability, a country contributing to global security and peace, said Defense Minister Fatmir Besimi at the Southeastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) initiative meeting in Sarajevo on Wednesday.

"That is why we give high priority to regional cooperation, strongly supporting regional initiatives and actively engaging in maintenance of good neighborly relations and enhancement of defense cooperation", said Besimi.

According to him, prior successful operations within the SEDM process has shown that the initiative is a successful model of cooperation by regional states, having a crucial role in the establishment and enhancement of dialogue in the field of defense and beyond.

"With regards to additional strengthening of regional security cooperation, I believe the current 'smart defense' concept can be implemented within the SEDM process. In this context, I want to stress that the development of the SEDM Strategic Review is of crucial significance and a true step forward, taking into consideration the continual changes and complexity of modern security challenges", emphasized Besimi.

The Defense Minister assessed that the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) represents an important part of the SEDM process, adding that Macedonia expresses strong political will over the brigade's proper engagement through the selection of the most functional ways of deployment.

"Macedonia is committed to enhancement of regional cooperation. We can build trust only through sincere cooperation with neighbors, dialogue and mutual understanding, thus demonstrating our democratic capacity and feeling of responsibility towards the region", underlined Besimi.