On 27 January 2021, the online Meeting of Points of Contact of Multinational Advisory Group – Steering Committee of RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation was held. The aim of the Meeting was to make an overview of the realization of RACVIAC Programme 2020, the implementation of Programme 2021 and the Finances.
Opening the meeting, RACVIAC Director, MG (ret.) Jeronim Bazo welcomed the representatives from Members and Associate Members saying that the Centre greatly appreciated their outstanding support and cooperation. He also pointed out the need for the participants’ interaction, engagement and expressing their valuable opinions. He also wished everyone a happy new year as this was the first meeting held this year.
As the Programme for the year 2021 was approved during the 44th online MAG Meeting in October 2020, the first session of the briefing gave an overview of the activities conducted during 2020 and the activities that will be conducted during the year 2021. It also provided representatives with information regarding the current financial situation. Following the introductory addresses by RACVIAC Director, RACVIAC Planning & Liaison Officer COL Gerhard Schweiger moderated the Meeting and presented the first speaker. Programme Manager Col Deniz Öztürk (Cooperative Security Environment Pillar), Mr Josip Mandić (Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Network), Mr Berat Jashari (Countering Transnational Security Threats Pillar) and LTC Dimitrios Biris (Security Sector Governance Pillar) presented the realization of Programme for 2020 within their respective Pillars and the projection for 2021. MAJ Sanja Kragujević (Chief of Admin&Finance) presented the Budget realization for 2020 and the Budget for 2021.
In the second part of the meeting the objective was to discuss and examine the possibilities of improving the quality and visibility of RACVIAC activities taking into consideration the times we are living in, thus upgrade the participants’ level of insight and ensure a more active engagement of Members and Associate Members. National POCs were strongly encouraged to give their national views on specific requirements that are of great interest to be further developed within the main approved Programme for 2021.
In addition, MAG POCs informed RACVIAC on their readiness to cooperate and support some particular activities and all of them expressed their hope the activities would be held live soon. RACVIAC Director, MG (ret.) Jeronim Bazo concluded the meeting and thanked everyone for their engagement during the meeting. He also said that we were preparing for both possibilities: for online activities but also for live activities, and hopefully there would be more of live one.
