On the 26th anniversary of the South-Eastern Europe Brigade – SEEBRIG, Misajlovski underlined its importance for regional security

Today (3 September) at the Boro Menkov Barracks in Kumanovo, a solemn ceremony marked 26 years since the establishment of the SEEBRIG multinational brigade as part of the South-Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial (SEDM) Cooperation Process – two key initiatives that strengthen regional defence dialogue and security cooperation in South East Europe.

Minister of Defence Vlado Misajlovski, in his address to the present high-ranking representatives of the member nations, including the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski and the Chief of Defence of the Romanian Armed Forces, General Gheorghiță Vlad, emphasized that SEEBRIG, as one of the most successful projects as part of SEDM, has proven itself over the past 26 years as the best instrument for mutual understanding and development of the capacities of the member states.

“Working together, side by side in a region that always strives for peace, we can certainly be even more effective in ensuring security and prosperity for our citizens”, said Misajlovski. The fact that the South-Eastern Europe Brigade Headquarters has been located in Kumanovo for the past five years, he added, is a clear indication of our strong belief in regional cooperation that builds bridges and connects our armed forces.

Misajlovski stressed that all countries that are part of the Brigade share the same values – peace and prosperity, especially important today in times of geopolitical changes and uncertainty. “We must move forward, continue to build our resilience, our capacities and our common understanding. We are building our preparedness, as a guarantee that the reality of today will be our reality tomorrow”, emphasized Minister Misajlovski.

Minister Misajlovski expressed his gratitude to Simona Cojacaru for her dedication as the current Chair of the SEDM Secretariat and the Political-Military Steering Committee and wished success to Ambassador Eleftherios Angelopoulos, who will hold this position for the next 2 years.

The South-Eastern Europe Brigade was established in 1998 in Skopje, where the Agreement on the Establishment of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force Southeast Europe was signed. The Brigade’s HQ has been located on a rotational basis in Plovdiv, Constanta, Istanbul, Trnava/Larissa and Kumanovo. In 2026, the command will be located again in Istanbul, Turkey. Over the past 26 years, the Brigade has participated in numerous peacekeeping missions, including the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, where it took command of the Kabul Multinational Brigade. It has also organized 14 biennial exercises “Seven Stars”, which are among the most significant in the region, involving more than 200 soldiers from nine countries.