The „Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control (Dayton Article IV) – Orientation Course“ kicked off in Budva, Montenegro today. The subject Course has been organized by RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation and will be held from 18 to 21 March 2024.
This Course has been organized by RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation since 2001. This year it is being hosted by the Republic of Montenegro and will be supported by the Federal Republic of Germany, Croatia and Austria. It is based on the provisions of the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control pursuant to the General Framework Agreement for Peace in BA, Annex I-B, Article IV.
Its main purpose is to instruct participants how to successfully perform their duties as inspectors and/or escorts pursuant to the Agreement on Sub-Regional Arms Control and to establish a common understanding of the Agreement in order to foster mutual trust and confidence as well as transparency during the performance of inspections.
The Course was opened by Colonel Ivan Mašulović, MoD/Arms Control Inspector, Verification Center of Montenegro and H.E. Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, Director of RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation.
In his Welcome speech Colonel Mašulović thanked all the participants for their attendance in this Course and participation, and stressed: “We are pleased that today, after eight years, we are again able to host this course, bearing in mind that we were prevented from doing so in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are witnesses that despite the fact that we are going through a demanding and challenging period after the pandemic and the latest events in the eastern part of Europe, we have managed to find an efficient way to effectively fulfil the most important tasks in this area”, stressed Colonel Mašulović, and continued: “I would like to thank the Director of RACVIAC, respected Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, as well as the entire RACVIAC team, headed by Mr. Predrag Omrčen, for their great efforts and enthusiasm as well as dedication, which were jointly invested in order to successfully implement this activity”.
In his Opening address Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie stated that the Dayton Article IV Course is one of the most recognizable annual activities of the Organization since it evidently makes a significant contribution to regional stability, transparency and trust and attracts participants not only from the SEE region but the entire world as well. He praised the participation of France, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Hellenic Republic, Albania, Germany, Slovakia, North Macedonia, the USA (DTRA-Europe) and BACA – Benelux Arms Control Agency (Netherland, Belgium) in the Course which proves the importance of this Agreement, not only when it comes to its successful practical application nowadays but experience and good practice sharing as well.
RACVIAC Director also emphasized the main aim of this course which is to establish a common approach to the Agreement in order to ensure mutual confidence and transparency during the performance of the tasks of inspectors and escorts and he especially outlined that Centre for Security Cooperation has conducted 28 Dayton Article IV Orientation Courses so far and trained more than 550 military officers over the last 24 years. The Agreement has been a very significant instrument of confidence and security building in the region as well as a means of reinforcing stability.
The four-day Course consists of a theoretical and a practical part. A two-day practical part of this year’s Course will be held and conducted in the barracks in Danilovgrad and Golubovci involving a training inspection of a Declared Site in order to enable the participants, divided into teams, to practice their roles as inspectors or escorts.
The Course is being attended by more than 30 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, BACA, DE/Bundeswehr and DTRA/US.
