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The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) On-Site Inspection and Building Capacity Directorate’s EUCOM Building Partner Capacity Division recently completed the first virtual, multilateral engagement for regional counter-WMD (CWMD) cooperation. The event was co-hosted by the RACVIAC (Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Center) and co-sponsored with the European Command (EUCOM) Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction. During the workshop, four new partner-led, cooperative projects in the counterproliferation and CWMD mission space were presented to the other participants, as well as to distinguished partner nation guests, who attended a “VIP Day.” This day demonstrated partner nation leadership’s continued commitment to the RACVIAC Regional CWMD Network, as well as marked the transition to “Phase II” of these endeavors. Phase II will include greater emphasis on RACVIAC-led activities and development of the partner projects. The final day of the event also marked the 20th Anniversary of RACVIAC’s founding after the Dayton Accords and included greetings and congratulations from high-level partner nation representatives as well as myself. The future vision for cooperation between RACVIAC and DTRA is bright, and will continue to make the region and the rest of the world a safer place by reducing the threat from WMDs through greater regional cooperation and engagement.
RACVIAC Director, MG (ret) Jeronim Bazo (Albania), offers his opening remarks and his enthusiastic motivation to the assembled multinational crowd. RACVIAC Deputy Director, MG Slaven Zdilar (Croatia), joins him on his left and RAVIAC Regional CWMD Network Leader, Mr. Josip Mandic (Croatia), is on his right.
From 21-24 September, a combined team from DTRA OB’s EUCOM Building Partner Capacity Division, EUCOM, the RACVIAC Centre for Security Cooperation, the U.S. Interagency, and International partners conducted a virtual, multilateral CWMD workshop with RACVIAC member nations. The engagement included 10 partner nations and over 50 participants and used Microsoft Teams. Coincidentally, this online collaboration solution was selected prior to the COVID 19 pandemic as a means of increasing partner nation communication, and planning for a completely “virtual” event was accelerated by six months. Initial plans were to conduct an online event no earlier than spring 2021. Despite the consensus for in-person engagement in the future, the event was a resounding success and proved that online collaboration can contribute to multilateral teamwork and communication on complex WMD issues.
Professionally produced “scene setter” videos were created for adding realism to the mini-TTX, which was conducted during the event. The TTX encouraged coordination and communication among partner nations.
Though RACVIAC was created to assist Southeast Europe with arms control and inspections following the Dayton accords at the end of the Balkan’s conflict, the center’s activities have since expanded to include a “Regional CWMD Network.” This initiative includes over ten participating nations and focuses on cooperation and collaborative solutions to WMD and proliferation challenges. DTRA has collaborated with EUCOM at RACVIAC for the last 6 years, and hosted over a dozen large, multilateral events at the center, which is located outside Zagreb, Croatia. To date, seven partner nations have drafted their National CWMD Strategies, and DTRA OB International Counterproliferation Program (ICP) has leveraged their International Counterproliferation Program (ICP) to facilitate bilateral “stress tests” of these plans, engaging partner nation interagency leadership, and conducting plan refinement. As part of this effort, we expect ten member states to complete their strategies. Partner nations that have participated in the Regional CWMD Network include Croatia (host), Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey.
Teams proved to be a capable platform for hosting the event, but required weeks of practice and preparation. U.S. team members logged on at “zero dark thirty” to make sure all systems were “go” for each day’s events.
With DTRA’s support – and as partner nations complete their strategies – RACVIAC’s Regional CWMD work is now ready to move on to “Phase II.” This phase of the project is notable, as it will include greater partner-led engagements, as well as feature four new regional CWMD cooperative initiatives, led by RAVIAC participant nations. These projects include development of a Regional WMD and Proliferation Risk Atlas (led by North Macedonia), Dual-Use and Emerging Technologies (led by Croatia), hosting an Annual Proliferation Trends Conference (led by Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Synthetic Biology (led by Romania). Currently, eight out of ten participating nations are either leading or contributing, and DTRA and EUCOM are excited to see where they lead. The transition to Phase II will also free up resources, allowing for greater EUCOM CWMD regional engagement in the AOR, which DTRA OB’s Building Partner Capacity Department will continue to support.
Last, but not least, the event concluded with a “VIP Day,” where partner nation leaders up to the Ambassador-and Deputy Minister-level reaffirmed their individual nation’s buy-in to the Regional CWMD Network and voiced their national support for the Phase II efforts. This day was a prelude to RACVIAC’s 20th Anniversary celebration, which occurred in October. It was my distinct honor to offer a message of congratulations to all RACVIAC team members for their accomplishments over the last 20 years, and to offer my personal encouragement for future cooperative CWMD endeavors. RACVIAC has done much to improve the security of the Southeast Europe region, and will continue to make strides keeping Europe and the world safe from the threat of WMDs. I look forward to DTRA’s participation in the next chapter of this fruitful and growing international partnership.
DTRA Public Affairs assisted with providing a professionally produced video for the event, where we offered our congratulations on a job well done to RACVIAC on their 20th anniversary and offered support for future Regional CWMD efforts.
| Date Taken: | 11.02.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.03.2020 14:46 |
| Category: | PSA |
| Video ID: | 771603 |
| VIRIN: | 201103-D-HT311-0002 |
| Filename: | DOD_108047669 |
| Length: | 00:03:15 |
| Location: | US |
| Downloads: | 0 |
| High-Res. Downloads: | 0 |
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