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International Military Cooperation – Bosnia and Herzegovina – 2024

MILITARY EXERCISES

Based on the response from the MoD of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was estimated that there were 14 military exercises. Nine of the 14 exercises were multilateral, with four conducted with NATO and three US-led multilateral exercises. Two of these multilateral exercises were regional, with one being the “Strong Balkan 23 (B-9),” and the second one was the one in which the military medical team took part in an exercise organised by the Balkan Medical Task Force (BMTF). There were five military exercises in 2023. Two were done with Turkey, with Bosnia and Herzegovina being an observer in the “Anatolian Phoenix 2023” exercise. While the regional initiative Adriatic Charter (A-5) held an exercise called “Laufer 23”, Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in it on a bilateral basis with Croatia. One bilateral exercise was held with Italy. Bosnia and Herzegovina also took part in an exercise, “Adriatic Strike 2023”, gathering NATO members and NATO partner countries. The MoD of Bosnia and Herzegovina classified this exercise as a bilateral exercise, but it was impossible to determine the partner country for this exercise.

DONATIONS

The response from the MoD did not include information on foreign military donations. Based on an open-source search, it is estimated that the EU was the largest donor to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the total value being EUR 26 million. Under the European Peace Facility (EPF), the EU pledged an Assistance Measure to Bosnia and Herzegovina worth EUR 10 million for demining efforts. In addition, the EU approved further EUR 10 million for field equipment, military engineering tools and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) material for the Tactical Support Brigade. The donations also involved the EUR 6 million Assistance Measure under the EPF for the Balkan Medical Task Force. Germany donated EUR 410.000, with EUR 350.000 being the value of IT equipment for the Training Centre for Peace Support Operations (PSOTC) and the EUR 60.000 support for the demining battalion.

2024 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – BiH

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International Military Cooperation – Albania – 2024

MILITARY EXERCISES

Based on open-source data, Albania is estimated to have participated in 20 military events in 2023.
There were 17 multilateral exercises. Most of these exercises were with NATO, ten total. There were three US-led multilateral exercises. There were four regional multilateral exercises: one with the Adriatic Charter (A-5) and two with the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (ADRION). The most important of these regional exercises was the special operation forces’ exercise hosted by Albania, “Strong Balkan 23 (B-9)”; an exercise
intended to boost interoperability with NATO. In total, Albania participated in three bilateral military drills in 2023. Two bilateral military drills were conducted with the US and one with the New Jersey Army National Guard. One bilateral military drill was done with Turkey.

DONATIONS

As the Albanian MoD refused to respond to the request for access to information, open-source research was conducted. Based on open sources, the US was the largest military donor to Albania in 2023 with USD 9.74 million.

TOP FOREIGN DONORS 2022

United States of America
USD 9.74 million

2024 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Albania

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2023-IMC-Serbia

International Military Cooperation – Serbia – 2023

MILITARY EXERCISES

In 2022, the Serbian Armed Forces did not participate in any international exercises, either bilateral or multilateral. The reason for this was the decision of the Government of the Republic of Serbia that the Armed Forces were to abort all activities related to planning, preparing and conducting exercises with foreign partners. This decision was a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before it was made, Serbia conducted exercises with both NATO and Russia, although always more with NATO members.

DONATIONS

The Serbian MoD reported only one donation in 2022 – of IT equipment valued at RSD 495,594 (slightly above EUR 4,215.70) – by the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), intended for promoting gender equality. Open-source research showed that Serbia also received medical equipment consisting of a 64 slice scanner and a mobile X-ray machine for the Military Medical Centre “Karaburma” from the US embassy. The value of this donation was never specified.

US donations 2022

South Eastern and Eastern Europe
Clearinghouse
EUR 4,215.70

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Serbia

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International Military Cooperation – North Macedonia – 2023

MILITARY EXERCISES

In 2022, North Macedonia participated in 20 international military exercises. Five of these were bilateral – four were conducted with the US and one with Greece. The rest were multilateral exercises conducted through NATO and its Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme. Beyond these international exercises, North Macedonia also held one national exercise, “Flash 22”, intended to demonstrate that the army is combat-ready according to NATO standards, or more precisely, according to the Standards for Evaluation of Ground Commands and units of the NATO Joint Operations Command – CREVAL (Combat Readiness Evaluation).

DONATIONS

Based on data provided by the North Macedonian MoD, the UK’s donation to North Macedonia amounted to GBP 377,738 (USD 454,154; EUR 438,119) and involved two transactions. These transactions most likely concerned the delivery of 14 mobile training units for operations in the urban environment. The United Kingdom also made another donation to North Macedonia, valued at EUR 100,000 when presented in Euros. There is no data on whether this relates to training units or other donations. Although North Macedonia is one of the NATO allies that are expected to receive military aid from the US in light of the war in Ukraine, no information related to military donations from the US in 2022 was found while doing research.

TOP FOREIGN DONORS 2022

UK
EUR 538,119

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – North Macedonia

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International Military Cooperation – Montenegro – 2023

MILITARY EXERCISES

As extrapolated from open-source research, it is estimated that Montenegro participated in 17 military exercises in 2022. Most were organised under the auspices of NATO, with one bilateral naval exercise with Slovenia. The military medical team from Montenegro participated in the exercise that was organised by the Balkan Medical Task Force (BMTF).

DONATIONS

Norway donated USD 65,000 in medical equipment to Montenegro’s Military Medical Centre, including for combating the Coronavirus pandemic. Multilaterally, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) donated EUR 34,698 (USD 34,815) worth of equipment for classrooms intended for training members of the Armed Forces. In 2022, the US Department of State has announced a donation to 17 of its European allies, of which USD 23 million is intended for Montenegro. It remains unclear whether said donation was implemented in 2022, but if it was, it would mean that the US is still the largest military donor to the country.¹ While data on the exact amount was not specified, part of the US aid to Montenegro emphasised cyber-security.

TOP FOREIGN DONORS 2022

United States of America
EUR 23.000,000
Norway
EUR 65,000
OSCE
EUR 34,698

  1.    Radio Slobodna Evropa, Vojna pomoć iz SAD za države Zapadnog Balkana, osim Srbije [Radio Free Europe – U.S. military assistance to Western Balkan countries, with the exception of Serbia], 19 Sept 2022, https://www.slobodnaevropa. org/a/state-department-vojna-pomoc-zapadni-balkan/32040703.html

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Montenegro

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International Military Cooperation – Croatia – 2023

MILITARY EXERCISES

Croatia remains active when it comes to military exercises and, based on public sources, it is estimated that it has participated in 14 such exercises in 2022. Some of them were conducted on a multilateral basis, with NATO. Bilateral military exercises have been conducted mostly with the US (5 exercises), but also with France (2 exercises) and the UK (1 exercise). Exercises related to special forces and maritime exercises were represented as well. Croatia also participated in a multinational naval exercise, “ADRION LIVEX 2022”, organised under the auspices of the regional Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (ADRION).

DONATIONS

The United States appears to be the country’s biggest military donor, much like in 2021. In 2022, Croatia received two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from the US, estimated at USD 55 million.

To assist Croatia in acquiring Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), the US pledged to provide USD 51.1 million in European Recapitalisation Incentive Programme (ERIP) financial aid to Croatia, with Croatia being obliged to secure the remaining USD 145.3 million of the total transaction amounting to USD 196.4 million. Some sources noted that, with the arrival of Black Hawk helicopters, the US military assistance to Croatia reached USD 685 million. It is not possible to determine the accuracy of this assessment and whether it took into account the deal on Bradley vehicles, which was made in the same period.

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Croatia

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International Military Cooperation – Bosnia and Herzegovina – 2023

MILITARY EXERCISES

The number of international military exercises in which Bosnia and Herzegovina participated was assessed through the response of the MoD and the analysis of publicly available sources. Based on those, it was estimated that there were 9 military exercises. Most of them were conducted through NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme or with major NATO powers such as the US and Turkey. Beyond international military exercises, particularly striking was the NATO exercise “Combined Effort 22”, an evaluation exercise based on the NATO Operational Capabilities Concept (NEL-2), for which the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina received a positive assessment. The military medical team from Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in an exercise that was organised by the Balkan Medical Task Force (BMTF).

DONATIONS

It is estimated that the US was a great source of donations to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022. That year, the US Congress approved USD 23 million in aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the form of two new helicopters to develop helicopter capacities within its Armed Forces. This package, besides the helicopters themselves, also included spare parts, multi-annual maintenance and pilot training.¹ In July 2021, Bosnia and Herzegovina also received a donation of 21 Humvees (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle – HMMWV), valued at USD 2.6 million. This donation was part of the bigger package of 86 HMMWV vehicles worth USD 14.3 million. These vehicles will be delivered as the production continues. 79 of 86 vehicles were delivered to date, starting from 2016.²

TOP FOREIGN DONORS 2022

United States of America
EUR 25,600,000

  1.    Response of the Press Office of the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  2.    Ibid.

Bilaterally, Bosnia and Herzegovina also received EUR 1.1 million (USD 1.14 million) from Germany, for repairing military infrastructure related to army barracks. Unlike in 2021, there is no record of military donations from Turkey and China. Bosnia and Herzegovina received donations from
multilateral and regional institutions. Among them was a EUR 10 million donation from the EU as part of an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF), in the form of de-mining equipment, with transportation vehicles and ambulances to be supplied at a later date. Within the project “Safety and Security Upgrade of Bosnia and Herzegovina Ammunition and Weapons Storage Sites (SAFE-UP BiH)”, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) and state donors invested EUR 2 million in upgrading the country’s capacity to secure and manage arms and ammunition stockpiles during the five years of the project’s implementation. The South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) donated IT equipment of unspecified value to the Bosnian military, intended for the standardisation of the military training on gender.

No members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in peace missions in 2022. Due to the decision-making deadlock in the institutions, there was a temporary freeze in the rotation of contingents of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in peace missions. However, the new Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to continue the participation of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in all three missions, implying that the exact number of troops will be the same as in 2021.

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Bosnia and Herzegovina

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2023-IMC-Albanija

International Military Cooperation – Albania – 2023

MILITARY EXERCISES

Based on open-source data, it is estimated that Albania has participated in 16 military exercises with NATO and NATO allies. If one adds bilateral exercises with the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) to this, the number rises to 20. Albania continues to conduct its military exercises within the framework of NATO and participate in military drills organised by the US, including the US military and the New Jersey Army National Guard, as well as those that are organised by the UK and Turkey. Also, the military medical team participated in an exercise under the auspices of the Balkan Medical Task Force (BMTF). These drills are multinational and include various categories, including regular troops, special forces and naval exercises.

DONATIONS

The US and Turkey are traditionally the two largest military donors in Albania. The same was in 2021. The only difference compared to the previous year is that, in 2022, the overall value of Turkey’s donation was higher than that of the US. From the Government of the Republic of Turkey, Albania received goods in the amount of USD 2,088,500, while from the Government of the United States of America it received goods in the amount of USD 1,436,136. Open-source research could only identify that Ankara has donated 40 vehicles (cars and buses) to the Albanian Armed Forces.

TOP FOREIGN DONORS 2022

United States of America
EUR 1,436,136
Turkey
EUR 2,088,500

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
International Military Cooperation – Albania

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Women in Defence System – Serbia – 2023

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National Action Plan 1325:

Serbia’s second Action Plan for the implementation of the Resolution 1325 expired in 2020. In 2022, the Ministry of Defence formed a new organisational unit within its human resources sector – the Gender Equality Office, with the aim of improving gender equality in the defence sector. The Office will be responsible for the preparation of the third action plan.

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Participation of women in the MoDs and the Armed Forces:

Military service recently became quite popular in Serbia, both among young women and young men. In the last two years, more girls than boys have enrolled in the Military Gymnasium and Military Vocational High School in Belgrade.1 Currently, there are 34% female cadets at the Military Academy, while at the Medical Faculty of the Military Medical Academy (VMA) the number of women is greater than 70%.

In principle, all positions are available to women and they are represented even in the special forces’ units such as the Military Police Detachment for Special Purposes – “Cobras” or the 72nd Special Operations Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces. Statistics from the Ministry of Defence show that the share of women among
non-uniformed personnel (civilians) in the MoD and in the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) is currently 54.23%, while the representation of women in the total number of professional military personnel is 10.59%. Similar to many other countries in the region, women are engaged mostly in civilian positions within the defence system. When it comes to the share of women among officers, non commissioned officers (NCOs) and soldiers, Serbia has the highest percentage of women who are professional soldiers – 17.66%. However, a similar trend is not present in the higher ranks, as only 10.24% of women serve as officers and 3.63% of women as NCOs. Still, a slight increase has been noted in all the categories compared to the previous “Balkan Defence Monitor”.

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Representation of women in command and leadership positions:

Women are still underrepresented in leadership positions, with 26.88% of them in managerial positions in the MoD and 6.23% holding command positions in the Serbian Armed Forces. The highest rank held by women in the Serbian Armed Forces is still that of Colonel. Serbia is still the only country that has never appointed a woman as defence minister.

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Participation of women in peacekeeping operations:

Currently, out of 283 members of the Serbian Armed Forces participating in four UN peacekeeping operations and three EU missions, 43 are women (15.09%). In 2022, there were 88 women in peacekeeping operations.

      1.    Vojkan Kostić, Vojni poziv u Srbiji sve popularniji među ženama [Military service is becoming ever more popular among women in Serbia], Balkan Security Network, 21 Jan 2023, https://www.balkansec.net/post/vojni-poziv-u-srbiji-sve-popularniji-me%C4%91u-%C5%BEenama

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Women In Defence System – Serbia

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2023-Woman-Makedonija

Women in Defence System – North Macedonia – 2023

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National Action Plan 1325:

North Macedonia is currently implementing its second Action Plan 1325 on women, peace and security for the period 2020-2025.¹

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Participation of women in the MoDs and the Armed Forces:

According to the Ministry of Defence, women currently (2022) make up 30.86% of the civilian staff and 10.66% of the armed forces. The share of women among officers, non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and soldiers increased moderately compared to the last year’s survey. North Macedonia has 18.16% of women with the ranks of officers, 11.87% of the NCOs and 5.78% of the soldiers. Although the percentage of women in operational jobs has increased, women generally still work in civilian positions in the defence system.

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Representation of women in command and leadership positions:

North Macedonia is one of the three countries in the region that have appointed women as defence ministers. The share of women among the total number of officers in the Armed Forces is 10.93%.

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Participation of women in peacekeeping operations:

According to the Ministry of Defence, 4.92% of women are currently deployed to peacekeeping operations. This is a significant drop compared to 2019, when North Macedonia deployed 8% of its uniformed women to peacekeeping operations.

      1.    Second National Action Plan of the Republic of North Macedonia for the Implementation of United Nations
        Security Council Resolution 1325 – Women, Peace and Security 2020 – 2025, July 2020, https://www.globalwps.org/data/MKD/files/2020-2025.pdf

2023 – Balkan Defence Monitor
Women In Defence System – North Macedonia

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