The Republic of Albania hosted the 53rd Meeting of the Multinational Advisory Group (MAG) on 26-27 March 2025 in Tirana, reaffirming its commitment to fostering regional security and cooperation. Under the Chairmanship of Albania, the meeting was presided over by H.E. Ambassador Ardiana Hobdari, MAG Chairperson.
Ambassador Hobdari formally opened the meeting, welcoming representatives and presenting the agenda for adoption. In her opening remarks, she underscored the important role of RACVIAC in promoting dialogue and security cooperation in Southeast Europe for over 25 years. She emphasized the importance of active engagement from Member States and Associated Members in sustaining and strengthening these efforts.
Following the opening session, H.E. Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, RACVIAC Director, presented the Director’s Annual Report. He provided a comprehensive overview of the Centre’s activities and achievements in 2024 and outlined strategic priorities for the coming year.
The Director expressed gratitude to the Republic of Albania, particularly the Ministry of Defense, for its generous hospitality and support in hosting the MAG Meeting. He also extended his best wishes to Ambassador Hobdari for her leadership in advancing RACVIAC’s role as a vital platform for regional security cooperation.
Ambassador Grigorie highlighted RACVIAC’s 2024 achievements, including the successful execution of 22 activities involving over 730 practitioners and 237 lecturers. These activities covered a broad spectrum of security priorities such as arms control, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, energy security, gender-inclusive security sector transformation, and regional resilience.
He further noted that RACVIAC’s contributions had been acknowledged at the 2024 SEDM Meeting in Tirana, where defense ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the Centre’s mission.
Addressing contemporary security challenges, Ambassador Grigorie emphasized that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East underscored the need for robust security frameworks and regional resilience, highlighting RACVIAC’s role in fostering dialogue among SEE nations and supporting Euro-Atlantic integration.
He reiterated RACVIAC’s commitment to tackling hybrid threats, small arms trafficking, counterterrorism, human rights, gender equality, crime, corruption, and the rule of law. Furthermore, he highlighted key initiatives in project management, particularly in artificial intelligence, cyber security, forensic science, nuclear security and national security investigations, ensuring RACVIAC a significant role in strengthening regional security efforts.
The meeting also highlighted the expansion of international cooperation in 2024, marked by new Memorandums of Understanding with the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center (E-ARC) in Romania and CRDF Global from the United States.
A visit from the FMES Institute in France further reinforced global partnerships. Ambassador Grigorie informed MAG representatives about preparations for the inaugural “Conference on Critical Infrastructure Protection Strategies,” co-organized with E-ARC and CRDF Global, underlining RACVIAC’s evolving role in regional security. Additionally, he noted intensified diplomatic engagement, with visits from over 30 Ambassadors accredited in Croatia, reflecting strong international support.
On financial matters, the Director presented the Centre’s financial status, noting the necessity of a 15% increase in Member State contributions starting in 2026 due to rising operational costs, increased activity levels, and reduced contributions from certain Associate Members and sponsors. He expressed gratitude for the 2025 contributions received and underscored the collective responsibility of Member States in ensuring the financial sustainability of RACVIAC.
Ambassador Grigorie also stressed the importance of seconding personnel to RACVIAC and thanked the Ministry of Defense of Montenegro for assigning a representative to the Centre starting in June. He called on other Member States and Associate Members to follow suit in addressing critical staffing needs.
During the meeting, MAG representatives commended RACVIAC’s leadership and reaffirmed their support for its mission. Presentations by key RACVIAC officials—including Colonel Kayhan Turhan (CSE Pillar), Biserka Petrovska (CTST Pillar), Lieutenant Colonel Nikola Suhić (SSG Pillar), and Vedrana Djukarić (CSE & C-WMD Network)—provided insights into the implementation of the 2024 programme, updates for 2025, and projections for 2026.
Special appreciation was extended to Austria, Germany, and Hungary for their steadfast support, as well as to the United States and Croatia for their contributions to the Counter-WMD Network Initiative and the Cyber Security Course. MAG took note of the updated Annual Programme for 2025 and future projections.
Financial discussions continued with Mr. Tin Ključarić, Chief of Administration and Finance, who presented the realization of the 2024 budget, the proposed budget for 2025, and projections for 2026-2028. A revised contribution scale was reviewed and discussed and will be subject to MG approval through the Silence Procedure until May 30, 2025.
Regarding personnel matters, Rear Admiral Predrag Stipanović, Deputy Director, provided an update on the implementation of RACVIAC’s organizational structure and urged Member States to second personnel to address staffing gaps. He also presented the roadmap for finalizing the RACVIAC Strategy for 2027-2032, which was subsequently approved by MAG.
In a dedicated session, the Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) of the United States introduced the RACVIAC/DTRA Regional Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Counterproliferation Training Initiative. Led by Major Paul Bausman and Jane Stephan, the presentation outlined the initiative’s annual activity cycle, targeted skill sets, and the benefits for RACVIAC Member States.
As the meeting drew to a close, Ambassador Hobdari invited Bosnia and Herzegovina to submit its nomination for the next MAG Chairperson by 12 July 2025 to facilitate approval at the upcoming RACVIAC meeting. She also announced the formal commencement of the nomination process for the new RACVIAC Director, with applications due by 16 June 2025.
H.E. Ambassador Ardiana Hobdari concluded the 53rd MAG Meeting by facilitating the adoption of the meeting’s conclusions and extending her heartfelt appreciation to all participants for their valuable contributions. She emphasized the need for sustained collaboration to ensure continued progress in regional security and cooperation.
With the adoption of the conclusions, the 53rd MAG Meeting was officially concluded, setting a clear course for future cooperation and reinforcing RACVIAC’s role as a pillar of stability in Southeast Europe.
