On 11 November 2025 RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation opened its annual “Arms Control Symposium” at its premises in Rakitje. This year’s edition marks 17 years of serving as a central platform for discussing key topics ranging from conventional arms control treaties and agreements to regional dynamics and the broader implications of arms control policies in South East Europe.
The Symposium gathers 21 participants from RACVIAC Members, Associate Members, and Observers, as well as representatives from Kosovo* and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agenda features a distinguished lineup of expert speakers and lecturers from Ankara Yıldırım Beyazit University, OSCE’s Conflict Prevention Centre, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia, the OSCE Mission to Skopje, the Ministry of Defence of Hungary, the University of Zagreb, UNIDIR, the Bundeswehr Verification Center, Ludovika University of Public Service, DOK-ING Ltd. and Interface EU.
The event was formally opened by Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, RACVIAC Director, who expressed appreciation to all participants for their interest in this event and gratitude to the speakers for sharing their knowledge and experience. He also extended special appreciation to the Federal Republic of Germany for providing financial support to this Symposium.
In his Opening remarks Ambassador Grigorie emphasized that the traditional frameworks of arms control which once underpinned collective security, negotiated during and after the Cold War, are now being tested as never before. He stated that the erosion of key treaties, the return of great power competition, and the re-emergence of conventional and nuclear deterrence debates challenge the very foundations of our security order.
At the same time, he noted that this period of transition brings new opportunities to rethink, modernize, and rebuild trust, emphasizing that arms control must evolve into a living instrument, adapted to contemporary geopolitical and technological realities.
Ambassador Grigorie also highlighted that South-Eastern Europe can serve both as a testing ground and as a model for innovative arms control solutions, grounded in dialogue, regional ownership, and a shared commitment to stability. He underlined that technological frontiers such as Artificial Intelligence, autonomous systems, and data-driven targeting are reshaping both warfare and arms control, expanding the battlefield into new domains including cyberspace, outer space, and the digital realm.
He emphasized that in these circumstances, traditional concepts of deterrence and verification are increasingly difficult to apply, and that arms control should be redefined as a mindset of mutual security, integrating diplomacy with innovation, aligning regional perspectives with global vision, and combining political realism with moral responsibility.
This year’s Arms Control Symposium aims to highlight recent developments in arms control and explore new perspectives on confidence-building measures in Europe and beyond. The two-day event features five thematic panels that address the evolving nature of arms control and its intersection with technology, regional security, and global stability:
- Arms Control in Transition: Implications for European Security
- Regional Perspectives on Arms Control and Security: South-Eastern Europe
- Artificial Intelligence in Warfare and Arms Control: Emerging Challenges
- Arms Control: New Perspectives
- Emerging Technologies and New Domains in Arms Control: Military Innovation and Cyberspace
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*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence. (In accordance with Arrangements regarding regional representation and cooperation).
