Belgrade/Republic of Serbia – The European CISM nations met in the capital of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, from October 19th to 22nd, 2023 for the European Conference.
The European Conference was opened by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Milos Vucevic.
Minister Vucevic welcomed those present and, in his speech, announced the importance and cohesion of the CISM. He also praised the Serbian Delegation for the preparation and implementation of the European Conference in the Republic of Serbia.
Colonel (GS) Dirk Schwede, Vice President Europe, welcomed in the Military Home 23 representatives from the 42-member nations, in the heart of the city. By hosting the conference in the Military Home, those present were in one of the most important and famous buildings of the Serbian Armed Forces. Colonel Schwede thanked Minister Vucevic for the opportunity to hold the European Conference in the Republic of Serbia and also praised the Serbian Delegation for the preparation of the conference. Colonel Schwede particularly welcomed the Secretary General (SG), Navy Captain Roberto Recchia, and the new Chiefs of Delegation and the new Delegates.
A variety of presentations provided reviews of the past year and an outlook on future events and sporting competitions. The European Board of Directors-Members and the President of the Sports Commission gave an insight into their recent work and presented the central themes of their work.
Navy Captain Roberto Recchia (SG), presented in his presentation the financial situation of CISM. He emphasized that if the development of the economic situation does not change significantly in the next few years, it will lead to major challenges for the CISM community.
For the first time, a workshop was held with the focus on “How can we as CISM encourage member nations to host championships?” This workshop was developed and presented by Captain Jörg Probst, Chief European Liaison Office. Those present were divided into two groups and proposed solutions. These were presented at the end of the entire conference.
All these topics were discussed not only in the official part, but also in various other ways. “Side talks” at the hotel bar once again proved to be a very good opportunity to deepen the friendly bonds and get to know each other better. During the cultural program, the Serbian Delegation took those present to the heart of the Balkan metropolis to illustrate culture and sights.
At the end of the conference, the CISM flag was handed over to the next host of the European Conference. The 2024 conference will take place in Sarajevo/Bosnia & Herzegovina from October 7th-11th. Colonel Schwede expressly thanked the Chiefs of Delegation of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Colonel Kemal Suljević, for agreed to host the 2024 European Conference in Sarajevo.
The European Liaison Office would once again expressly thank the Serbian friends, the head of the Serbian Delegation LtCol Negovan Ivankovic and the officer responsible for the organization LtCol Dragan Todorov for the excellent preparation and friendly cooperation at the 2023 European Conference in Belgrade. It was a very good conference all around, where everyone who took part felt comfortable and started their journey home from the Republic of Serbia with positive impressions.
Text and pictures by Master Sergeant Pascal Pottmeier / CISM – European Liaison Office
If you want to see more photos of the European Conference, clickhere
